Method for Processing a Point of Sale Transaction Posted to a Credit Balance

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a method for processing a point of sale transaction posted to a credit balance, wherein parameters are used to determine whether a transaction posted to a credit balance is electronically paid using a separate payment balance.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS/PRIORITY CLAIM

This Continuation Application claims the benefit of U.S. PatentApplication Ser. Nos. 60/752,119, filed Dec. 20, 2005; 60/811,977, filedJun. 8, 2006; 11/487,680, filed Jul. 17, 2006; and 11/612,467, filedDec. 18, 2006, each of which is entirely incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides multiple account, multiple parametermethods, systems, apparatus, transaction cards, and the like for use inmanaging account balances relating to managing the debiting of at leastone point of sale transaction via access to at least two availablefinancial accounts that can be debited by preset and/or adjustableparameters before, during or after at least one financial transactionrelating the amount of the debit to the relative balances available inthe two available financial accounts, including increasing cash orcredit balances by adjusting manually or automatically one or moretransaction debits between one or more accounts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Separate credit card accounts and debit card accounts are well known inthe art. They include single account balance credit or debit cards thatare unusable should the singular account balance or credit limit becomedepleted or limit is reached, such that these card, methods and systemshave many drawbacks. Accordingly, the end user is often embarrassed andstressed when they do not find out that they have exceeded their creditlimit until their card is declined in the middle of a purchase, such asrejection of a given point-of-sale transaction, and are further punishedby high credit card over-the-limit fees or overdraft fees with debitcards. Thus there is a need to provide alternative solutions to theseproblems.

Additionally, in recent years, the growth rate of credit card usage hasleveled off, while the growth rate of debit card usage has increaseddramatically. Intrinsic to a standard debit card is the lack of defaultrisk, whereby once a given transaction is authorized and paid using adebit card, there is no risk that the end user will default on payingthe debit card issuer, because payment has already occurred. As a resultof this lack of default risk, fee revenues such as interchange fees thatcard issuers earn on debit cards is less than what card issuers earn oncredit card transactions. Given the scenario where credit card usage isleveling off, and debit card usage is rising, financial card issuerswill continue having a tougher time sustaining the overall level ofrevenue growth that they have enjoyed in prior years when the growthrate of credit card usage was still strong.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides methods, systems and transaction cards oridentification systems, using transaction network comprising proprietarycard network, EFT, ACH, or ATM, for end user management of a globalfinancial account by manual or automatic prepaying, prepaying, paying orunpaying, debiting or crediting, or readjustment or presetting, usingparameters relating to portions of paid or unpaid financial transactionsor account balance amounts in multiple credit, cash or other existing,or end user created, financial accounts or sub-accounts in said globalfinancial account that is optionally subject to financial account issuertransaction or readjustment fees from end users and merchants, includingoptional use for financial transactions as a credit transaction cardrequiring merchant credit card interchange or other fees, and optionalend user fees, as additional revenue to the global account issuer.

Certain embodiments disclosed herein will help financial card issuersjustify and earn higher credit-card level fee revenue from merchants forboth automatically paid and manually paid transactions, or new forms offee revenue from end users and merchants.

Certain embodiments disclosed herein will help financial card issuersjustify and earn the more favorable credit-card level fee revenues dueto the fact that inherent to said embodiments are methods that greatlyenhance flexibility for the end user over traditional credit and debitcards. Especially when compared to a standard debit card, certain debitcard equivalents (to be known as “faux debit cards”) and “crebit”embodiments comprising such debit card equivalents offer unprecedentedflexibility, where the enablement of the improved flexibilitynecessitates a commensurate creation of end user credit-default risk.Therefore, it is possible for certain “enhanced” debit card embodimentsto comprise a level of end user credit-default risk that is identical toa standard credit card. For example, by allowing an end user to use afully enabled embodiment of a faux debit card, the end user can engagein purchase transactions that are automatically and fully paid by theend user's available cash balance; however, at a later time, the enduser can then “unpay” the paid transactions, resulting in a creditbalance that needs to be repaid, which also results in the cash balancebeing restored to the pre-transaction level. Subsequently, the end usercan withdraw all available cash, and then totally default on paying backthe credit balance that required repayment.

There are numerous embodiments disclosed herein; however, in the crebitembodiments, an end user, via various payment parameters comprising thetransaction processor, can predetermine, among other things, whichtransaction items will be automatically paid before or at the close of agiven billing cycle, and which transaction items will be manually paidby the end user after the close of a given billing cycle, or evenmanually paid by the end user before the close of said billing cycle.That said, it is possible for the end user to configure a given crebitembodiment in myriad ways, so in a given embodiment, the paymentparameters can be set to perform only automated payments involving acash balance functions just like an ordinary debit card, then withinmoments, the payment parameters can be reset to pre-select whichtransactions will be paid automatically, and which transactions will bepaid manually per the crebit functionality, then within moments again,the payment parameters can be reset to only allow manual payments usinga credit balance, so that the crebit embodiment functions just like anordinary credit card.

By enabling the flexibility and full creation of credit-default riskthat is inherent in certain embodiments, financial card issuers canjustify and earn the more favorable credit-card level fee revenue frommerchants for both automatically paid and manually paid transactions,such as interchange fees. Reasons that justify the more favorablecredit-card level fee revenue comprise:

-   1) All embodiments comprise the use of at least one available credit    balance.-   2) Funding of, or linkage to, an available cash balance is not    mandatory, whereby a given embodiment can function purely as a    credit card.-   3) Certain embodiments enable transactions that are fully paid using    an available cash balance to be subsequently and fully unpaid, where    the resultant credit balance repayment has the full capability to be    defaulted on.

The inherent flexibility also helps the end user immensely. With regardto cash management and budgeting, certain embodiments enable an end userto predetermine which transactions are automatically paid versusmanually paid. In certain embodiments an end user that subsequentlyregrets using an available cash balance to automatically pay for a giventransaction item can manually, or even automatically “unpay” the item to“free up” the resultant cash for a much more pressing need, such as anemergency, or to automatically prevent a check from bouncing. Being ableto unpay transactions can even prevent hardship for the end user shouldan anticipated cash payment to the end user from an outside source failto materialize. It is reasonable that a given card issuer couldoptionally choose to charge the end user fees for any or allconveniences that the various methods enable.

Also, the created credit-default risk has an advantage for responsibleend users. Being that certain faux debit card embodiments comprisecredit-default risk, those embodiments justify themselves as validcredit reporting items. Those end users that don't jeopardize themselvesby avoiding default using said faux debit card embodiments could havetheir credit usage related to the faux debit card embodiments reportedin a positive light. Therefore, end users of the faux debit cardembodiments comprising credit-default risk criteria can see theirresponsible faux debit card activity potentially maintaining or evenimproving their credit scores, such as a FICO score. This is a hugeadvantage over standard debit cards, because activity using a standarddebit card has absolutely no bearing on, or advantage towards,maintaining or improving an end user's credit score.

Unusual payment capabilities comprise enabling an end user to userspecify or “create at will” at least one new billing cycle, which ishandy for the end user, and advantageous to the card issuer, because itsaves the end user from having to use a competitor's card due to thefact that the competitor's billing cycle ends later. By enabling the enduser to create a new billing cycle, the end user enjoys the capabilityto postpone the bill payment on a given new purchase for as long aspossible, while the card issuer enjoys the end user's card use as aresult.

Finally, an advantage to the end user is privacy, whereby nobody in apoint-of-sale environment can tell whether the user is paying for agiven transaction automatically before or at the close of the billingcycle, or manually after or prior to the close of a billing cycle. Thisadvantage can be especially valued and appreciated by those that feelthat others already know too much about them.

Even though merchants probably won't care for the fee structure that thecard/account issuer charges, there are certain advantages for themerchant as well. The merchant might not have to deal with an itemreturn, due to an end user's cash shortfall, if the end user instead hasthe option to unpay a given transaction item, and carry the transactionas an open item to be repaid later, all without involving the merchantwhatsoever. Also, an end user that normally pays for certain itemsautomatically using an available cash balance may stop spending if thereis uncertainty regarding potential cash balance shortfalls, but mayspend anyway if a potential remedy enabling the end user to unpay andrepay later is available. An example is where an end user that normallyuses an available cash balance to eat in restaurants might stay awayfrom a restaurant given a possibly uncertain future cash position, butmight patronize the restaurant if a remedy to unpay, and subsequentlyrepay later, is available, just in case the remedy is needed. Overall,the resultant reduced item returns and the increased patronage bycertain end users is viewed as being pluses for merchants.

The advantages disclosed are a significant and unexpected departure fromthe capabilities of standard credit cards and debit cards.

The present invention provides at least one method, transaction card oridentification system, and global account and system for end userautomatic or manual presetting or adjustment of partial or total amountaccount balance payoff, billing cycles, budget control and overdraftprotection for at least one debit using at least two related financialaccounts maximizing end user control and maximizing global accountissuer fees including the designation of such an account to the merchantas a credit card account that designates the merchant interchange fee asa credit card interchange fee.

The method provides in one aspect an enhanced credit card accountsubject to merchant credit card interchange fees for credit card issuerthat also provides for the end user to specify or modify the paymentsource from one more accounts in the global financial account.

The preset or adjustable parameter(s) and access to at least twofinancial accounts for at least one point of sale transaction providefor solutions related the problem of accessing and managing balances inat least two financial accounts as well as partial, split orcorresponding debit funds for at least one point of sale transaction.Such access and preset parameter(s) allow the financial account user tohave automatic access, without the problems associated with thepossibility of insufficient accounts or with having to figure out at thetime of the point of sale, whether minimum balances or other aspects ofthe financial account remaining balances are being maintained after thedebit is made for the point of sale transaction.

The present invention overcomes problems and shortcomings of the priorart by including associated multiple cash and credit accounts accessibleby transaction card, smart card, signature, PIN, chip and PIN, anelectronic signature, a fingerprint, a retinal scan, a DNA test, voicerecognition, and face or feature recognition, or any other known form,for methods, systems and apparatus that are able have to preset oradjustable parameters for transferring debits between differentaccounts, in real time, before or after a transaction, to manageindividual or multiple account balances, or to prearrange or adjust theparameters in one or multiple accounts or between accounts, before orafter the transaction as to how the accounts are debited.

Accordingly, the present invention provides various utilities to thefinancial account holder, including, but not limited to, being able toaccess multiple accounts for debiting funds use for a point of saletransaction at a store or other product or service provider, such asinternet, telephone, satellite, intranet, radio/contactless, wireless,and the like, and to before, during or after the transaction to havepreset and/or adjustable parameters to provide a multiple or singleaccount debit for one or more transactions that can be assigned to oneor more accounts before, during or after the transaction and/or moved toat least one or more different billing cycles.

The present invention further provides the utility of being able tomanage financial accounts through preset and/or adjustable parametersthat can be used to provide, adjust and/or maintain various aspects ofthe at least two financial accounts, before, during and after variousdebit or other financial transactions using such financial accounts,such as, but not limited to, minimum balances, relative balances,debiting using ratios, ranges or relative aspects of the accountbalances, time related parameters, and other aspects that would be knownto one skilled in the relevant arts, e.g., but not limited to finance,banking, business, and the like.

The present invention provides in one aspect a method, system orapparatus for providing an enhanced credit card account subject tomerchant credit card interchange fees for a credit card issuer that alsoprovides for an end user to specify or modify the payment source for anend user to specify or modify the assignment of at least a portion of atleast one debit for at least one financial transaction using at leastone first financial account and at least one second financial accountthat can be accessed through at least one global financial account, themethod comprising: (a) providing or providing a system component for theat least one global financial account comprising the at least one firstfinancial account comprising at least one first available balance andthe at least one second financial account comprising at least one secondavailable balance, wherein the global financial account can be accessedby the end user for managing the assignment of the at least a portion ofthe at least one debit to at least one of the first or second financialaccounts; and (b) automatic or manual readjusting or presetting,prepaying, paying or unpaying, or debiting or crediting or providing asystem component for automatic or manual readjusting or presetting,prepaying, paying or unpaying, or debiting or crediting the assignmentof the at least a portion of the at least one debit to at least one ofthe first or second financial accounts based on at least one parameterrelating to the first financial account or the second financial account,or the parameter relating at least one of the first or second financialaccount balances, the automatic or manual readjusting or presetting,prepaying, paying or unpaying, or debiting or crediting executed before,during or after the financial transaction and under the control of theend user.

The present invention also provides a method, system or apparatus forproviding at least one global financial account that: (i) is optionallysubject to merchant credit card interchange or other fees and end userfees as additional revenue to the global account issuer; and (ii)provides for an end user to specify or modify at least a portion of atleast one debit for at least one financial transaction using said atleast one global financial account comprising at least one firstfinancial account comprising at least one available balance and at leastone second financial account comprising at least one available balance,said method comprising:

-   -   (a) providing or providing a system component that provides said        at least one global financial account comprising said at least        one first financial account comprising at least one first        available balance and said at least one second financial account        comprising at least one first available cash balance, wherein        said global financial account can be accessed by said at least        one end user for automatic or manual readjusting or presetting,        prepaying, paying or unpaying, or debiting or crediting, using        at least one parameter relating to said at least a portion of        said at least one debit for said at least one financial        transaction to at least one of said first or second financial        accounts, wherein said financial transaction is subject to an        associated merchant credit card interchange fee or other fee;        and    -   (b) said at least one end user or providing a system component        that provides said at least one end user automatic or manual        readjusting or presetting, prepaying, paying or unpaying, or        debiting or crediting said at least a portion of said at least        one debit to at least one of said first or second financial        accounts according to at least one parameter relating (i) said        at least one portion to said first financial account and said        second financial account, or (ii) at least one of said first or        second financial account balances, said automatic or manual        readjusting or presetting, prepaying, paying or unpaying, or        debiting or crediting executed before, during or after said        financial transaction and under the control of said at least one        end user and subject to optional end user fees.

The present invention further provides a method, system or apparatus forproviding at least one global financial account that: (i) is subject tomerchant credit card interchange or other fees and optional end userfees as additional revenue to the global account issuer; and (ii)provides for an end user to specify or modify at least a portion of atleast one debit for at least one financial transaction using said atleast one global financial account comprising at least one firstfinancial account comprising at least one available credit balance andat least one second financial account comprising at least one availablecash balance, said method comprising:

-   -   (a) providing or providing a system component that provides said        at least one global financial account comprising said at least        one first financial account comprising at least one first        available credit balance and said at least one second financial        account comprising at least one first available cash balance,        wherein said global financial account can be accessed by said at        least one end user for automatic or manual readjusting or        presetting, prepaying, paying or unpaying, or debiting or        crediting said at least a portion of said at least one debit for        said at least one financial transaction to at least one of said        first or second financial accounts, wherein said financial        transaction is initially provided as a credit card transaction        to said merchant and debited to said at least one available        credit card balance and subject to an associated merchant credit        card interchange fee or other fee; and    -   (b) said at least one end user or providing a system component        that provides said at least one end user automatic or manual        readjusting or presetting, prepaying, paying or unpaying, or        debiting or crediting said at least a portion of said at least        one debit to at least one of said first or second financial        accounts according to at least one parameter relating (i) said        at least one portion to said at least one debit to said at least        one first financial account, or (ii) at least one of said first        or second financial account balances, said automatic or manual        readjusting or presetting, prepaying, paying or unpaying, or        debiting or crediting executed before, during or after said        financial transaction and under the control of said at least one        end user and subject to optional end user fees,        wherein said specifying or modifying optionally allows the end        user to accomplish at least one of    -   (i) increasing an available cash or credit balance by moving        said at least a portion of said at least one debit to at least        one other credit or cash balance in at least one corresponding        financial account in said global financial account;    -   (ii) replacing said at least one first portion of said at least        one debit in at least one credit or cash account with an        alternative at least one second portion of at least one debit        from the same or different credit or cash financial account,        wherein said first portion is optionally designated as unpaid,        and said second portion is designated as paid;    -   (iii) moving at least a portion of said at least one debit in at        least one credit or cash account to an account with a different        or later billing cycle or creating a new billing cycle;    -   (iv) holding said at least one debit for a period of time as a        fraud check to confirm that said financial transaction was made        by said at least one end user; or    -   (v) providing a budget management system by preset or manual        parameters to manage cash flow in said global financial account.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said financial transaction is treated as a creditcard debit by said merchant and incurs a merchant interchange fee.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said automatic or manual readjusting or presetting,prepaying, paying or unpaying, or debiting or crediting increases theavailable cash balance in said at least one cash account balance or cashsub-account balance.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said increase is provided by moving said at leastone portion of at least one debit from a cash financial account to acredit financial account.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said increasing of said available cash balanceincurs an end user fee.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said automatic or manual readjusting or presetting,prepaying, paying or unpaying, or debiting or crediting increases theavailable credit balance in said first financial account.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said increasing of said credit balance is made by apreset or manual parameter that pays off at least a portion of at leastone debit from said available credit balance from at least a secondavailable cash balance from at least one of said first or secondfinancial accounts.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said increasing of said available credit balanceincurs an end user fee.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said parameter automatically pays off an outstandingcredit balance with at least one of said cash account balance or cashsub-account balances.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said payoff is from an available cash balance of atleast one of said first, second or other financial accounts in saidglobal financial account before the beginning of the next billing cycleto avoid paying carryover balance fees or interest.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said payoff results in no credit risk to the enduser, or improves the end user's credit score.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein the use of said automatic payoff parameter by saidat least one end user incurs an end user fee.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, where said payoff is from an available cash balance of atleast one of said first, second or other financial accounts in saidglobal financial account that is done before the beginning of asubsequent billing cycle to provide an increase in the available cashbalance in the current billing cycle.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, where said payoff is from an available cash balance of atleast one of said first, second or other financial accounts in saidglobal financial account that is done before the beginning of asubsequent billing cycle to avoid paying carryover balance fees orinterest in said subsequent billing cycle.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said payoff results in no credit risk to the enduser, or improves the end user's credit score.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said first and second financial accounts include acredit account related to a cash account.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said first and second financial accounts include afirst credit account related to a second credit account.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said first and second financial accounts include afirst cash account related to a second cash account.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said first and second financial accounts include acash account related to a credit account.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said cash account acts as an overdraft account forsaid credit account.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said second credit account acts as an overdraftaccount for said first credit account.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said first cash account acts as an overdraft accountfor said second cash account.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said credit account acts as an overdraft account forsaid cash account.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said at least a portion of said at least one debitcan be moved to a different account of said at least one first andsecond financial accounts that has a different timeframe or billingcycle.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said different timeframe or billing cycle is a latertimeframe or billing cycle.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said at least a portion of said at least one debitis assigned to said at least one first financial account balance andlater assigned to said at least one second financial account balance.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said later assignment results in the initial orsubsequence account balance to be 0 or a predetermined amount.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said move to a different account is done manually orautomatically as designated by the end user on a debit by debit, timeperiod, account balance, or multiple debit basis.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said move is based on a parameter involving at leastone of a threshold amount, a remainder threshold, a ratio threshold,minimum available account balance, a range of available account balance,a maximum available account balance, a minimum debit amount, a range ofdebit amounts, or a maximum debit amount.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said threshold amount provides that a minimum amountportion of said at least one debit is assigned to one financial accountbalance and at least a portion of the remainder of said debit amount isassigned to an additional financial account balance in said globalfinancial account.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said moved debit portions can be further moved toadditional financial account balances in said global financial account.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said parameter involves at least one of a thresholdamount, a remainder threshold, a ratio threshold, a billing cycle, atime period, a minimum available account balance, a range of availableaccount balance, a maximum available account balance, a minimum debitamount, a range of debit amounts, or a maximum debit amount.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said debit is conducted using a transaction card, asmart card, a chip and PIN card, or a magnetic strip card associatedwith said global financial account.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said debit is conducted using a personalidentification system.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said personal identification system is at least oneselected from at least one of personal identification number (PIN), asignature, chip and PIN, an electronic signature, a fingerprint, aretinal scan, a DNA test, voice recognition, and face or featurerecognition.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said automatic or manual readjusting or presetting,prepaying, paying or unpaying, or debiting or crediting is manually orautomatically by at least one parameter that can be further preset ormodified by the end user.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said parameter is selected from at least one of athreshold amount, a remainder threshold, a ratio threshold, a billingcycle, a time period, a minimum available account balance, a range ofavailable account balance, a maximum available account balance, aminimum debit amount, a range of debit amounts, or a maximum debitamount.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said specifying or modifying is at least one of:

-   -   (a) moving said at least a portion of at least one debit from        one or more account balances to one or more previously debited        or additional account balances in said global financial account;    -   (b) splitting said at least a portion of at least one debit        between at least two account balances based on (i) partial or        total amount of at least one financial transaction or at least        one balance in one or more of said accounts; (ii) type of        account; (iii) time period relating to said financial        transaction or account activity, (iii) billing cycle; (iv)        account limit; (v) type of account; (vi) a minimum, maximum or        range of at least one transaction threshold, amount or portion;        debit threshold, amount or portion; or account threshold, amount        or portion; or    -   (c) paying off at least a portion of at least one debit from at        least one of said first, second or additional financial account        in said global financial account, based on (i) partial or total        amount of at least one financial transaction or at least one        balance in one or more of said accounts; (ii) type of        account; (iii) time period relating to said financial        transaction or account activity, (iii) billing cycle; (iv)        account limit; (v) type of account; (vi) a minimum, maximum or        range of at least one transaction threshold, amount or portion;        debit threshold, amount or portion; or account threshold, amount        or portion; or (vii) chronological or amount ordering of debits        in at least one of said financial accounts.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said pay off is for an initially or subsequentlydebited financial account based on at least one financial transaction.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said payoff results in no credit risk to the enduser, or improves the end user's credit score.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said at least one parameter enables at least onegiven available account balance to be disengaged from one of said firstor second financial accounts.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said at least one parameter enables minimum ormaximum available balance parameters to be set in at least one of saidfirst or second financial accounts.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said at least one parameter can be modified by theend user in a real time basis.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said at least one parameter can be modified by theend user before, after or during the time the transaction has occurred.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said second financial account balance is increasedby subsequently reassigning said at least a portion of said debit fromsaid second account balance to said first account balance or a thirdaccount balance.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said third account balance is paid off in thecurrent or a later billing cycle.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein, prior to said later assignment of said portion fromsaid first financial account balance to said second financial accountbalance, when said at least a portion of said at least one debit isassigned to said first financial account balance, the correspondingamount of said at least a portion of said debit is held in said secondfinancial account balance to cover the corresponding amount in saidfirst account balance until said portion is transferred to said secondfinancial account balance.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said portion that is reassigned to said secondfinancial account balance can be reassigned to said first accountbalance or to a third account balance in order to increase said secondaccount balance.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said portion is assigned to said second financialaccount based on a minimum or maximum amount of said debit.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said portion is assigned to said second financialaccount based on a minimum or maximum amount of said first or secondfinancial account balance.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein the issuer of said global financial account cancharge a fee or percentage of the amount of said debit to said at leastone end user when said user transfers said portion from at least one ofsaid first and second financial accounts to another financial account.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein the issuer of said global financial account cancharge a fee or percentage of the amount of said debit to said at leastone end user when said user transfers said portion from at least one ofsaid first and second financial accounts to another financial accountand a balance in at least one of said first and second financialaccounts carries over to a subsequent billing cycle.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein the balance of said first financial account isautomatically or manually paid off by at least one second financialaccount.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said pay off is at the end of the current billingcycle.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said pay off is at the end of a subsequent billingcycle.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said pay off of each of said at least one debit isduring the current billing cycle is paid in turn.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said pay off of each of said at least one debit isduring the current billing cycle is paid in simultaneously.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said held amount is released to said secondfinancial account or transferred to another financial account in saidglobal financial account.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said at least one end user can automatically ormanually hold a debit in at least one of said financial accounts todetermine whether the end user made the corresponding financialtransaction or whether it was made by a third party not authorized tomake the financial transaction.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said at least one end user can specify said holdbased on distance of held financial transaction debit from end userresidence or place of business, being out of state, or out of country.

The method, system or apparatus can further comprise steps or systemcomponents, wherein said at least one end user can suspend or interruptat least one of said parameters.

Such a method is also provided wherein the debit is conducted using atransaction card, e.g., wherein the transaction card is a magneticstripe card, a smart card, or a personal identification system, e.g., apersonal identification number (PIN), an electronic signature, afingerprint, chip and PIN, a retinal scan, a DNA test, or face orfeature recognition, or any other known methods, such as, but notlimited to biometrics, to voice recognition, radio related protocolsused in wands at a point-of-sale (Exxon/Mobile), EZ Pass, and similartechnologies being adapted for cell phones.

The present also invention also provides a method for executing at leastone debit for at least one point of sale financial transaction using atleast one preset transaction parameter relating the debit amount to therelative account balances in at least two financial accounts,comprising: (a) maintaining the at least two financial accountscomprising at least two available account balances that can be debitedremotely via a transaction processor according to at least one presettransaction parameter that relates the debit amount to the relativebalances in at least two of the available account balances; (b)processing a request for authorization of the transaction amount againstthe at least two available account balances, in exchange for goods orservices, wherein the transaction amount requested is authorized when atleast one selected from (i) the total of the at least two availableaccount balances is greater than or equal to the debit amount; (ii) atleast one selected available account balance, as determined by thetransaction processor, is greater than or equal to the assigned portionof the debit amount corresponding to the at least one selected availableaccount balance; or (iii) at least one selected available accountbalance, as determined by the transaction processor, is able tocompensate for a deficiency in at least one other selected availableaccount balance that is less than the assigned portion of the debitamount corresponding to the at least one selected available accountbalance using Rescue or Reject criteria, where the assigned portion isdetermined by the transaction processor; and wherein the transactionamount is debited from or credited to the at least one available accountbalances by at least one selected from (i) according to the assignedportion determined by the transaction processor, (ii) according to atleast one Best Fit criteria; (iii) according to the assigned portion;and (iv) according to Rescue or Reject criteria.

Such a method can optionally further comprise where the availableaccount balances are accessed from at least one point-of-sale via atleast one of an automated clearing house (ACH) network, an electronicfunds transfer (EFT), a proprietary network other than an ACH network orEFT (such as Visa, MasterCard, etc.), or via the Internet.

Such a methods can optionally further comprise where the at least twoavailable account balances comprise at least one of one or more of (i)available in-house cash balances or available in-house credit balances,(ii) available out-of-house cash balances or available out-of-housecredit balances in addition to the available in-house cash balances orthe available in-house credit balances, (iii) available out-of-housecash balances or available out-of-house credit balances.

Such a methods can optionally further comprise where at least one of theat least two available account balances comprise its own account numberthat enables access via a transaction card, credit card, debit card, ATMcard, chip and PIN card, draft, and the like, where the account numberis distinct from the account number(s) used to access the globalaccount.

Such a methods can optionally further comprise where the availableaccount balances allow a given end user of the account benefits andreward programs that are available to financial card accounts.

The present invention further provides a system for at least one debitfor at least one point of sale financial transaction using at least onepreset transaction parameter relating the debit amount to the relativeaccount balances in at least two financial accounts, comprising: (a) asystem component for maintaining the at least two financial accountscomprising at least two available account balances that can be debitedremotely via a transaction processor according to at least one presettransaction parameter that relates the debit amount to the relativebalances in at least two of the available account balances; (b) a systemcomponent for processing a request for authorization of the transactionamount against the at least two available account balances, in exchangefor goods or services, wherein the transaction amount requested isauthorized when at least one selected from (i) the total of the at leasttwo available account balances is greater than or equal to the debitamount; (ii) at least one selected available account balance, asdetermined by the transaction processor, is greater than or equal to theassigned portion of the debit amount corresponding to the at least oneselected available account balance; or (iii) at least one selectedavailable account balance, as determined by the transaction processor,is able to compensate for a deficiency in at least one other selectedavailable account balance that is less than the assigned portion of thedebit amount corresponding to the at least one selected availableaccount balance using Rescue or Reject criteria, where the assignedportion is determined by the transaction processor; and wherein thetransaction amount is debited or credited from the at least oneavailable account balances by at least one selected from (i) accordingto the assigned portion determined by the transaction processor (ii)according to at least one Best Fit criteria; (iii) according to theassigned portion; and (iv) according to Rescue or Reject criteria.

Such a system optionally further comprises including where the at leastone two available account balances are accessed from a point-of-sale viaat least one selected from an ACH network, an electronic funds transfer(EFT), any proprietary network other than an ACH network or EFT (such asVisa, MasterCard, etc.), or via the Internet.

Such a system optionally further comprises where the at least twoavailable account balances comprises (i) one or more of availablein-house cash balances or available in-house credit balances; (ii) oneor more of available out-of-house cash balances or availableout-of-house credit balances in addition to the available in-house cashbalances or the available in-house credit balances, or (iii) one or moreof available out-of-house cash balances or available out-of-house creditbalances.

Such a system optionally further comprises where at least one of theavailable account balances comprising the at least two available accountbalances has its own account number that enables access via atransaction card, credit card, debit card, ATM card, chip and PIN card,draft, and the like, where the account number is distinct from theaccount number(s) used to access the global account. Such a systemoptionally further comprises where the at least one two availableaccount balances allow a given end user account benefits and rewardprograms provided by financial card accounts.

The present invention is further described by the following descriptionand examples, which do not limit the scope of the present invention, butare representative of the particular aspects of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides multiple account, multiple parametermethods, systems, apparatus, transaction cards, and the like for use inmanaging account balances relating to providing at least one point ofsale transaction via access to at least two available financial accountsthat can be debited by preset and/or adjustable parameters before,during or after at least one transaction relating the amount of thedebit to the relative balances available in the two available financialaccounts, including increasing cash or credit balances by adjustingmanually or automatically one or more transaction debits between one ormore accounts. The preset parameter(s) and access to at least twofinancial accounts for at least one point of sale transaction providefor solutions related the problem of accessing and managing debit fundsfor a point of sale transaction without having to go through the delayand difficulties of having specific accounts have insufficient funds forsuch debits, as well as for providing automatic, preset accessinstructions or adjustments for the at least two financial accounts.Such access and preset parameter(s) allow the financial account user tohave control of and automatic access to such accounts and their relativebalances (e.g., cash or credit or overdraft accounts), without theproblems associated with the possibility of insufficient accounts orwith having to figure out at the time of the point of sale, whetherminimum balances or other aspects of the financial account remainingbalances are being maintained after the debit is made for the point ofsale transaction.

The term debit, as in to debit an available cash balance or to debit anavailable credit balance, includes debit, debits, debiting, debited,etc. as used throughout this invention, are used in the traditionalaccounting sense mainly as verbs, as defined in Webster's RevisedUnabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.: deb-it \Debit\, v.t.[imp. & p. p. Debited; p. pr. & vb. n. Debiting.] 1. To charge withdebt;—the opposite of, and correlative to, credit; as, to debit apurchaser for the goods sold. For example, to debit an available cashbalance is to have cash or cash equivalents removed from the availablecash balance to pay for a debt, which in many cases pertains topurchases that have been made. On the other hand, to debit an availablecredit balance for, say, a purchase, is to reduce the available creditbalance by the purchase amount, where the reduction reflects aconsumption of the available credit balance. Relating with the aboveWebster's debit definition: To charge with debt, this debiting(consumption) of the available credit balance acts to charge the enduser with a debt that must be repaid at a later time. For instance, ifan end user uses an available credit balance to make a $100 purchase,the available credit balance is debited for the $100 amount, resultingin basically a $100 debt that is owed. Ultimately, the end user willeventually pay off this $100 debt amount sometime in the future orconcurrently using at least one accounts, e.g., but not limited to acash account, a credit account, a line of equity account, a money marketaccount, a line of credit account, an overdraft account, a savingsaccount, and the like.

The term credit, in its varied forms, is used. For instance, in theevent that a purchase is returned to a merchant by an end user, themerchant credits the balance(s) originally used for the purchase. Whenthe merchant credits an end user's available cash balance, cashpertaining to the purchase amount is restored (returned) to theavailable cash balance. When the merchant credits an end user'savailable credit balance, the total consumption of the available creditbalance is reduced by the amount of the returned purchase transaction ascredited by the merchant. What this basically means is that the totalamount of the debt that must be repaid at a later time due to totalcredit balance consumption by the end user is reduced by the amount ofthe returned purchase transaction. For example, if an end user has totalcredit balance usage of $500, and then makes a $100 return to amerchant, once the return gets credited by the merchant, the end userwill have to repay the debt based only on the readjusted total availablecredit balance consumption of $400.

The present invention provides methods and uses of financial cards (orother identity based systems, herein after referred to as financialcards) to charge point of sale amounts from one to multiple accounts, asa global account, in a single transaction or connected set oftransactions, such that the end user or the financial institutionproviding the financial card or other identity based system can presetsingle or multiple parameters for the point of sale transaction toaccess alternative accounts to provide funds to cover the point of saletransaction, where the account access is other than a demand accountthat merely covers the amount of insufficient funds in a single account.

The financial card in question can be a regular magnetic stripe cardwell known to the art. Some card issuers feature magnetic stripe cardswith an on-board smart chip; however, in many cases, especially in theUnited States, the actual chip has seen little, if any use in purchasetransactions, as there is a tendency to make use of the smart card'smagnetic stripe instead. In any event, magnetic stripe cards with anon-board smart chip may also be employed, although such a card will beused basically for its magnetic stripe capability. It is foreseeablethat the actual smart chip could ultimately be useful in facilitatingcertain transaction aspects, especially with regards to security issues;however, for the time being, any card comprising a standardized magneticstripe can be used in conjunction with the global account.

Key to this embodiment is the financial card global account belonging tothe end user. In terms of present, widely used technology, the globalaccount can be oriented as being PIN-based (on-line using a PIN at thepoint-of-sale), or signature based (off-line requiring an end-usersignature at the point-of-sale), a signature, chip and PIN, anelectronic signature, a fingerprint, a retinal scan, a DNA test, voicerecognition, and face or feature recognition, or any other knownmethods, such as, but not limited to biometrics, to voice recognition,contactless and/or radio related protocols used in wands at apoint-of-sale (Exxon/Mobile), EZ Pass, and similar technologies beingadapted for cell phones, or any combination thereof. As mentionedearlier, it is important to understand that the present invention is notintended to be limited to only PIN-based, a signature, chip and PIN, anelectronic signature, a fingerprint, a retinal scan, a DNA test, voicerecognition, face or feature recognition accounts, and contactlessand/or radio related protocols, but may be adapted to use any othersystem component of security/verification and/or system routing otherthan PIN-based or signature based system components, comprising retinalscanning, fingerprints, and/or other unique cardholder physical systemcomponent, with or without employing a financial card, either usingcurrently known networks, any future network, or the Internet. Whilebanks considering the present invention would tend to favor PIN-basedembodiments, and card issuers would tend to favor signature-basedembodiments, such is merely an observation, and not a limitation. Theglobal account comprises at least two available account balances.Available account balances fall under two general headings: an availablecash balance, and an available credit balance.

With regard to the at least two available cash balances, is importantthat all of the at least two available cash balances earmarked foractual financial card purchase transactions are legally able to be usedas a demand account according to 12C.F.R. (Code of Federal Regulations)section 329.2 mentioned earlier, which is repeated as follows: No bankshall, directly or indirectly, by any device whatsoever, pay interest onany demand deposit. An example of an account that pays interest, and isprecluded from being used for financial card purchase transactionsaccording to 12 C.F.R. section 329.2, is a savings account. Theplurality of available cash balances includes any type of available cashbalance, such as a checking account balance; or cash equivalent balancethat can be used for purchases, such as a money market fund, where oneunit or share of a money market fund equals, say, one U.S. dollar.Furthermore, should federal regulations somehow change to where interestbearing accounts are permitted to be used as demand accounts, or methodsemerge that legally enable interest bearing accounts to be manipulatedand used in demand account situations, then such accounts would bedeemed usable for purposes of this disclosure as available cashbalances.

A very important distinction should be made at this time. Just becausean interest-bearing savings account cannot be used for financial cardpurchase transactions does not necessarily mean that the financial cardglobal account cannot comprise an interest-bearing savings account togood effect. The disclosed financial card global account can comprise atleast one interest-bearing non-demand account to enable ATM (automatedteller machine) withdrawals. ATM cash withdrawals on interest-bearingsavings accounts have absolutely no implications with regard to 12C.F.R. section 329.2; however, debit card transactions that debitinterest-bearing savings accounts are prohibited under 12 C.F.R. section329.2.

At this time, the term point-of-sale should be clarified. A kind ofpoint-of-sale that is readily apparent is at a store, where the end userswipes his financial card in the presence of a merchant or serviceprovider. The term point-of-sale, as it is used in this invention, ismeant to encompass all manners and physical locations that are theorigin for the debiting of the global account. Furthermore, the end userdoes not actually have to be present at the merchant location for thetransaction to be considered, for purposes of this invention, as apoint-of-sale transaction. For example, should an end user enter hisfinancial card account number on the website for a given merchant, it isconsidered a point-of-sale transaction, even if the end user is makingthe purchase on a computer in the end user's house. Should an end userphone in a card account number from his home to a merchant; it isconsidered a point-of-sale transaction. Should a merchant or serviceprovider automatically debit the global financial account, such as inthe case of an automatic monthly payment to the merchant or serviceprovider, it is still considered to be a point-of-sale transaction forpurposes of this invention.

With regard to the plurality of available credit balances, availablecredit balances comprise three general categories: The first is therevolving credit balance that is used in credit cards, in which an enduser pays interest on balances not paid in full after the close of thebilling cycle. The second is the charge balance used in charge cards, inwhich an end user is expected to pay balances in full after the close ofthe billing cycle. The third is a line of credit, which some banks offerto some end users of checking accounts and/or debit cards. Unlike arevolving credit balance or even a charge balance, typical lines ofcredit tend to not allow interest-free grace periods for purchasetransactions. Also, lines of credit tend not to offer the myriad ofcredit card type benefits, such as reward programs, purchase protectionprograms, limited fraud liability, etc. It is envisioned as desirablefor embodiments of this invention that make use of at least oneavailable credit balance to avail end users to benefits normallyassociated with credit card offerings; nonetheless, lines of creditshould be considered as extremely usable for embodiments of the presentinvention that are PIN-based. Furthermore, there are real no obstaclesother than costs that prevent an entity that offers a PIN-basedembodiment to offer features and benefits to end users of a line ofcredit that in some or many ways resemble end-user features and benefitsof typical of signature-based credit card embodiments. Finally, anavailable credit balance is meant to include any manner or embodiment ofan available credit balance for purposes of this invention, and is notintended to be limited only to a revolving credit balance, chargebalance, or line of credit.

The at least two available account balances may comprise any combinationof available account balances belonging to an end user. For example, ifthe plurality comprises two available account balances, the twoavailable account balances can comprise two available cash balances, twoavailable credit balances, or one available cash balance, and oneavailable credit balance. Likewise, if the plurality comprises three ormore available account balances, the three or more available accountbalances can comprise any combination of available cash balances, and/oravailable credit balances, with the plurality possibly comprising atleast one available balance that is specifically used for ATM cashwithdrawals that may or may not pay interest.

The at least two available account balances is intended to functionunder the aegis of the global account; nonetheless, it may be desirableto be able to access a particular available account balance for whateverreason. Therefore, it is possible for at least one of the availableaccount balances comprising the global account to have its own accountnumber that enables access via a credit card, debit card, ATM card,draft, etc., that is distinct from the account number(s) used to accessthe global account.

A relatively simple and especially effective combination is where the atleast two available account balances comprises two available accountbalances, where one available balance is an available cash balance, andthe other is an available credit balance. The chart examples that willbe provided later will focus mainly on a global account comprising oneavailable cash balance and one available credit balance. As a side note,it is possible for an end user to open a global account with oneavailable cash balance, and one available credit balance, and begin touse the account without having the cash account funded by just using theavailable credit balance. Then, as the end user becomes more comfortablewith the workings of the account, or has the system component to fundthe available cash balance, the end user can then fund the availablecash balance and begin to take advantage of the global account's trueflexibility.

A vital element to the disclosed global account belonging to an end useris the transaction processor. The transaction processor links togetherand controls the at least two available account balances. What isespecially salient is that the transaction processor enables a givenincoming transaction to be debited among the at least two availableaccount balances in accordance with preset and/or adjustable. A noteabout the location of the available account balances is in order. Whileit is envisioned as being most efficient overall with regards toimplementation and costs for the at least two account balances to bemaintained at the same financial institution as the global accountcomprising the transaction processor, where all the available accountbalances are in-house, it is possible for at least one out-of-houseavailable account balance to be linked to the transaction processor thatis part of the global account comprising at least one in-house availableaccount balance. Furthermore, it is disclosed that it is possible tohave an embodiment of the transaction processor that works only without-of-house available account balances, where the embodiment does notcomprise any in-house available account balances whatsoever.

Cardholders who are provided with a multiple account may also beprovided with authentication credentials for identity verificationduring subsequent processes. In an exemplary system, the enrolledcardholder is given an ID and password to be used upon subsequent accessto the multiple account web site in order to gain access to screens thatsupport multiple account processes. In an alternative embodiment, thecardholder may be prompted to select a password, or answer a secretquestion, where this information can be used during any or all of themechanisms for providing information and requesting processes.

The cardholder communicates information to a multiple account processorthrough one or more of a variety of mechanisms such as submission ofon-line form, mail of a paper form, telephone conversation withcardholder service representative, or telephone interaction with voiceor touch-tone response unit. The cardholder may be required to provideauthentication credentials before proceeding with this process. In anexemplary embodiment, if the cardholder accesses and logs-in to a website, an ID and password may be required, or an ID and password may beprovided for subsequent use at the site, for example, in creatingassociations. The information provided by the cardholder generallyincludes: the account number of the transaction account to be associatedand a PIN, a signature, chip and PIN, an electronic signature, afingerprint, a retinal scan, a DNA test, voice recognition, and face orfeature recognition or other identification number, and may also includeother information such as the name, expiration date, billing address,and other identifying information associated with the particulartransaction account.

A discussion of the capabilities of the transaction processor willcenter on the varied parameters of the transaction processor. Understandthat numerous examples will be presented using specific parametervalues, where the values are highly variable, and where the specificvalues used in the actual examples are somewhat, if not absolutely,arbitrary and represent only a snapshot of a wider range. For example, aparameter value of 50% used in a given example could just as easily be75%, 33.33%, or even 2%. Furthermore, a given ratio can be expressed andset using any mathematical expression or terminology, such as apercentage (50%), a fraction (½ or one-half), proportion (1 partavailable balance #1 to 2 parts available balance #2, or 1:2, or 1 to2), an expression (use all cash balance, meaning 100% cash; or, use allcredit balance meaning 100% credit), etc. With regard to thresholdamounts, the threshold amounts presented in examples are arbitrary,meaning that, in reality, a threshold amount of $2 can be entered justas easily as a threshold amount of $25, $50, or $100.

Finally, it should be understood that the available account balancesused in examples are readily interchangeable. For instance, a givenexample that illustrates 100% of a given transaction debiting anavailable cash balance can be easily revised so that the example shows100% of a given transaction debiting an available credit balance.

Ratio Using Two Available Account Balances

One such parameter of the transaction processor comprises having atleast one ratio, where an end user can elect to have, for instance, 50%(one-half) of the transaction amount debiting an available cash balance,with the remaining 50% (one-half) debiting an available credit balance.While the examples presented have round U.S. dollar amounts,transactions in U.S. dollars certainly do occur in amounts where an odddollar amount distributed amongst two or more available account balanceswould result in fractions of a cent. For example, an amount of $10.01that is split in a 50/50 ratio amongst two accounts would ordinarilyresult in each account being debited $5 and one-half cent. Any desiredworkable solution to this situation may be employed, including whereeither of the two available account balances gets debited the extracent, account balances alternate as to which account balance getsdebited the extra cent, fractional cents are carried and readjusted atthe end of the billing cycle, etc. The solution(s) to the fractionalsituation could be predetermined by the account provider, or couldpossibly even be selected by the end user. Also, when considering theexamples that will be presented, remember that it is possible forembodiments comprising two available account balances to just as easilycomprise two available cash balances (where headings could read Cash #1and Cash #2), or two available credit balances (where headings couldread Credit #1 and Credit #2), in place of the provided examplescomprising one available cash balance and one available credit balance.A chart example, showing a month's worth of transactions, is as follows:

Date Description Amount Cash Credit 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 24.00 24.0001-03 Gasoline 21.00 10.50 10.50 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 18.00 18.0001-06 Supermarket 63.00 31.50 31.50 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 7.50 7.50 01-18Appliance Store 750.00 375.00 375.00 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 9.00 9.0001-30 Restaurant 33.00 16.50 16.50 TOTAL 984.00 492.00 492.00

The ratio using two available account balances can be set in any way,ranging anywhere from where 100% of a given transaction debits anavailable cash balance (all cash), to where 100% of the transactiondebits an available credit balance (all credit), and any point betweenthe two extremes.

Examples demonstrating 100% of a given available account balance, withvaried circumstances, will now be presented.

Ratio Using Two Available Account Balances-Depletion Example-SplitTransactions Permitted

This example shows where the end user uses a ratio of 100% of theavailable cash balance, but where, upon depletion of the %100 cashbalance, the end user not only permits the available credit balance totake over, but also permits a given transaction to be split between theavailable cash and the available credit balance. In this example, thecard not only shifts seamlessly from acting as a debit card to acting asa credit card, but also does so during the transaction dated January 5.

Date Description Amount Cash Credit AVAILABLE CASH BALANCE OF THE DEBITCARD CASH ACCOUNT - $100.00 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.00 -0- 01-03Gasoline 21.00 21.00 -0- 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 31.00 5.00 AVAILABLECASH DEPLETED - REMAINDER TAKEN FROM AVAILABLE CREDIT BALANCE 01-06Supermarket 63.00 -0- 63.00 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 -0- 15.00 01-18Appliance Store 750.00 -0- 750.00 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 -0- 18.00 01-30Restaurant 33.00 -0- 33.00 TOTAL 984.00 100.00  884.00

Ratio Using Two Available Account Balances-Depletion Example-SplitTransactions not Permitted

The following example shows where the end user uses a ratio of 100% ofthe available cash balance, but where, upon depletion of the $100 cashbalance, the end user permits the available credit balance to take over.However, in this example, the end user does not permit a giventransaction to be split between the available cash and the availablecredit balance, and desires that the available cash balance is debitedonly if the amount in the cash account is enough to pay for a giventransaction in full. In this example, the card account shifts back andforth between using available cash and available credit depending on thesize of the transaction, as seen in the transaction dated January 14.

Date Description Amount Cash Credit AVAILABLE CASH BALANCE OF THE DEBITCASH ACCOUNT PORTION - $100.00 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.00 -0- 01-03Gasoline 21.00 21.00 -0- 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 -0- 36.00 AVAILABLE CASH($31) IS LESS THAN TRANSACTION AMOUNT 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 -0- 63.0001-14 Gasoline 15.00 15.00 -0- 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 -0- 750.00 \AVAILABLE CASH ($16) IS LESS THAN TRANSACTION AMOUNT 01-24 Gasoline18.00 -0- 18.00 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 -0- 33.00 TOTAL 984.00 84.00900.00 

Ratio Using Two Available Account Balances-Depletion Example Maintaininga Minimum Balance-Split Transactions Permitted

This example shows where the end user uses a ratio of 100% of theavailable cash balance, but where, upon depletion of the cash balance,the end user permits the available credit balance to take over, wherethe end user permits a given transaction to be split between theavailable cash and the available credit balance. However, in thisexample, the card shifts from using the available cash balance to usingthe available credit balance while withholding $20 from being used forpurchase transactions. Here, a minimum amount is specified to thetransaction processor. The transaction processor enables minimums to bemaintained on any available account balance as specified by the end userand/or the card entity. There could be one or more of reasons whymaintaining a minimum available balance may be desirable. For instance,the card entity may want a minimum cash balance on hand for whateverinternal reasons; the end user may want a minimum cash balance on handthat allows an emergency ATM withdrawal without having to pay a cashadvance fee, which would happen if a cash withdrawal was to occur on anaccount having a zero available cash balance; or, if the account was setup where funds from the cash balance are used to pay the minimum paymentdue on an outstanding credit balance, the end user may want a minimumcash balance on hand to cover the minimum payment due. Minimum availablecash balances are also useful in direct deposit situations. For example,an end user that has a direct deposit that credits an available cashbalance for $5000 may wish to have $2000 withheld from being used forpurchase transactions, where the $2000 amount that is withheld isearmarked and used for writing a check against the available cashbalance to pay a mortgage payment. Furthermore, minimum balances couldbe useful for available credit balances, whereas an end user that has anavailable credit balance (or credit limit) of, say, $7000 does notreally wish to use more than $3000 of the available credit balanceduring any one billing cycle. Here, the end user would specify that hewants to maintain a minimum available credit balance of $4000. Otherways of stating this is where the end user specifies that he does notwant to use the final $4000 of his available credit balance, or that hewants to consume no more than $3000 of his $7000 available creditbalance.

Date Description Amount Cash Credit AVAILABLE CASH BALANCE - $100.00CASH BALANCE NOT PERMITTED TO GO BELOW $20.00 01-02 Restaurant 48.0048.00 -0- 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 21.00 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 11.0025.00 $20 MINIMUM THRESHOLD REACHED - REMAINDER TAKEN FROM AVAILABLECREDIT BALANCE 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 -0- 63.00 01-14 Gasoline 15.00-0- 15.00 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 -0- 750.00 01-24 Gasoline 18.00-0- 18.00 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 -0- 33.00 TOTAL 984.00 80.00 984.00

Ratio Using Two Available Account Balances-Depletion Example Maintaininga Minimum Balance-Split Transactions not Permitted

This example shows where the end user uses a ratio of 100% of theavailable cash balance, where upon depletion of the cash balance, theend user permits the available credit balance to take over; however, theend user does not allow transactions to be split between the availablecash and the available credit balance in the event of a depleted accountcondition. This example also demonstrates $20 being withheld as aminimum cash balance amount that precludes the $20 from being used forpurchase transactions. Being that split transactions are not permitted,the $11 cash balance is not used after the transaction dated January 5due to the fact that none of the month's remaining transactions are lessthan or equal to $11.

AVAILABLE CASH BALANCE OF THE DEBIT CASH ACCOUNT PORTION - $100.00; CASHBALANCE NOT PERMITTED TO GO BELOW $20.00 Date Description Amount CashCredit 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.00 -0- 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 -0-01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 -0- 36.00 01-05 $11 AVAILABLE CASH ($31 minus $20minimum threshold) IS LESS THAN TRANSACTION AMOUNT 01-06 Supermarket63.00 -0- 63.00 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 -0- 15.00 01-18 Appliance Store750.00 -0- 750.00 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 -0- 18.00 01-30 Restaurant 33.00-0- 33.00 TOTAL 984.00 69.00 915.00

Ratio Using Three Available Account Balances

More than two accounts can be employed in a given ratio, such as where33.33% (one-third) of the transaction amount debits an available cashbalance, 33.33% debits available credit balance #1, and 33.33% debitsavailable credit balance #2, as will be seen in the following chartexample for a month's transaction activity:

Description Amount Cash Credit #1 Credit #2 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 16.0016.00 16.00 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 01-05 Shoe Store 36.0012.00 12.00 12.00 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 21.00 21.00 21.00 01-14Gasoline 15.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 250.00 250.00250.00 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 11.0011.00 11.00 TOTAL 984.00 328.00 328.00 328.00A Singular Account Balance that May be Split into Two or More AvailableAccount Balances, and May Optionally be Recombined Back to a SingularAccount Balance

A global account may also take the guise of an account that has only onesingular account balance, such as a singular available credit balancewith a singular billing cycle, where the transaction processor has thecapability to split a singular account balance into two or moreavailable balances, with (or even without) offsetting billing cycles.Such a global account may allow any or all capabilities disclosed inthis and the above examples such as percentage/ratio functions,transaction amount/available balance thresholds, etc. In the case of asingular credit balance that can be split, credit limit amounts may beestablished for each of the available credit balances individually, or atotal global credit limit amount may be established that encompasses allof the available credit balances. Conversely, thanks to the transactionprocessor, the account user or issuer can optionally have the capabilityto undo the split by recombining the plurality of available creditbalances back into a singular balance, which is especially usefulshould, say, an end user decide that maintaining more than one availablecredit balance is unwieldy. An issuer's existing user accountscomprising an available credit balance (as in a standard credit cardaccount) that do not have such capability may even be modified with thetransaction processor described herein. Such account-splittingcapabilities lend themselves not only to global accounts with oneavailable account balance, but may be adapted to work with a globalaccount comprising at least two available account balances, where one ormore of the available account balances may be split and (optionally)recombined.

Here's an example illustrating where two available credit balances withstaggered billing cycles are used in conjunction with an available cashbalance as a sample of the myriad combinations that the transactionprocessor enables. The transaction processor is set up to wheretransactions up to $50.00 debit the available cash balance; transactionsabove $50.00 and up to $100.00 debit the available credit balance withthe nearest billing cycle close (“Credit #1”); and transactions above$100.00 debit the available credit balance with the furthest billingcycle close (“Credit #2”). Such a setup assures that while relativelysmaller purchases debit the available credit balance closer to thebilling cycle close, relatively larger purchases will always debit theavailable balance that has a billing cycle close that is further out.

Date Description Amount Cash Credit #1 Credit #2 01-02 Restaurant 48.0048.00 -0- -0- 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 -0- -0- 01-05 Shoe Store 36.0036.00 -0- -0- 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 -0- 63.00 -0- 01-14 Gasoline 15.0015.00 -0- -0- 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 -0- -0- 750.00 01-24 Gasoline18.00 18.00 -0- -0- 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 33.00 -0- -0- TOTAL 984.00171.00 63.00 750.00

Before the next discussion commences, what needs to be understood isthat parameters such as ratio, threshold, minimum balance, etc. can becontinually changed at will. For example, at the beginning of a newbilling cycle, an end user can elect to have transactions debit 50%available cash and 50% available credit, while in the middle of thebilling cycle the end user can introduce a new threshold parameter,while near the end of the billing cycle, the end user changes a ratio todebit account balances for transactions using 20% available cash and 80%available credit.

Singular Account Balance that May be Split into Two or More AvailableAccount Balances, and May Optionally be Recombined Back to a SingularAccount Balance

A global account may also take the guise of an account that has only onesingular account balance, such as a singular available credit balancewith a singular billing cycle, where the transaction processor has thecapability to split a singular account balance into two or moreavailable balances, with (or even without) offsetting billing cycles.Such a global account may allow any or all capabilities disclosed inthis and the above examples such as percentage/ratio functions,transaction amount/available balance thresholds, etc. In the case of asingular credit balance that can be split, credit limit amounts may beestablished for each of the available credit balances individually, or atotal global credit limit amount may be established that encompasses allof the available credit balances. Conversely, thanks to the transactionprocessor, the account user or issuer can optionally have the capabilityto undo the split by recombining the plurality of available creditbalances back into a singular balance, which is especially usefulshould, say, an end user decide that maintaining more than one availablecredit balance is unwieldy. An issuer's existing user accountscomprising an available credit balance (as in a standard credit cardaccount) that do not have such capability may even be modified with thetransaction processor described herein. Such account-splittingcapabilities lend themselves not only to global accounts with oneavailable account balance, but may be adapted to work with a globalaccount comprising at least two available account balances, where one ormore of the available account balances may be split and (optionally)recombined.

Here's an example illustrating where two available credit balances withstaggered billing cycles are used in conjunction with an available cashbalance as a sample of the myriad combinations that the transactionprocessor enables. The transaction processor is set up to wheretransactions up to $50.00 debit the available cash balance; transactionsabove $50.00 and up to $100.00 debit the available credit balance withthe nearest billing cycle close (“Credit #1”); and transactions above$100.00 debit the available credit balance with the furthest billingcycle close (“Credit #2”). Such a setup assures that while relativelysmaller purchases debit the available credit balance closer to thebilling cycle close, relatively larger purchases will always debit theavailable balance that has a billing cycle close that is further out.

Date Description Amount Cash Credit #1 Credit #2 01-02 Restaurant 48.0048.00 -0- -0- 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 -0- -0- 01-05 Shoe Store 36.0036.00 -0- -0- 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 -0- 63.00 -0- 01-14 Gasoline 15.0015.00 -0- -0- 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 -0- -0- 750.00 01-24 Gasoline18.00 18.00 -0- -0- 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 33.00 -0- -0- TOTAL 984.00171.00  63.00 750.00

Before the next discussion commences, what needs to be understood isthat parameters such as ratio, threshold, minimum balance, etc. can becontinually changed at will. For example, at the beginning of a newbilling cycle, an end user can elect to have transactions debit 50%available cash and 50% available credit, while in the middle of thebilling cycle the end user can introduce a new threshold parameter,while near the end of the billing cycle, the end user changes a ratio todebit account balances for transactions using 20% available cash and 80%available credit.

Splitting a Billing Cycle

Possible ways by which to achieve the desired end of splitting a billingcycle comprise:

Enabling the original, non-split billing cycle to be split, orconverted, into two or more billing cycles by a) using a transactionprocessor instruction change that changes the debiting timeframe of theoriginal billing cycle; and, b) switching on at least one additionalbilling cycle, where the transaction processor coordinates the debitingtimeframe(s) of the at least one additional billing cycle with thetimeframe change of the original billing cycle.

Enabling the original, non-split, billing cycle to be replaced by two ormore billing cycles by a) switching off the original billing cycle; and,b) switching on at least two additional billing cycles, where thetransaction processor coordinates the debiting timeframes among the atleast two billing cycles.

The switching on and off of billing cycles may be realized in any manor.For example, a billing cycle may have a “toggle” that switches it on oroff, similar to where the transaction processor enables an end user thecapability to turn on or off a billing cycle at will. Other means ofswitching on and off billing cycles include using a billing cycledebiting instruction change, such as where the transaction processor canchange a billing cycle debiting ratio or percentage parameter for agiven available balance from 100% (debit the full transaction amountfrom a given billing cycle) to 0% (debit none of the transaction amountfrom a given billing cycle).

This first example illustrates transactions debiting only the originalbilling cycle, whereby the end user has not elected the option ofsplitting the original billing cycle into two billing cycles. If wevisualize this in terms of a singular billing cycle that ends on 1/31,when the account issuer closes the cycle and sends out the billingstatement, the end user then has to make some form of reconcilement tothe account issuer such as payment, interest due, etc. This 1/31 end ofbilling cycle gives the end user very little “breathing room” on thepurchase made immediately before the close of the billing cycle.

Transaction Debit to Orig Debit to Split Date Description Amount BillingCycle Billing Cycle 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.00 -0- 01-03 Gasoline21.00 21.00 -0- 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 36.00 -0- 01-06 Supermarket 63.0063.00 -0- 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 15.00 -0- 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00750.00 -0- 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 18.00 -0- 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 33.00-0- TOTAL 984.00 984.00 -0-

In the following example, the original singular billing cycle is split.Here, the original billing cycle is debited until 1/15. At that point,it basically becomes dormant with regard to debiting until the after endof the month (where it would become active again at the start of thenext month). The split billing cycle originates (or begins anew) and isdebited from 1/16 until the end of the month (1/31), then it becomesdormant with regard to debiting until after 2/15, when it restartsdebiting. The account issuer can arrange for reconcilement (billpayment, interest accumulation, etc.) of the first billing cycle, whichis now a half debiting cycle (1/1 to 1/15) to not be due until after1/31, and reconcilement for the second half billing cycle (1/16 to 1/31)to not be due until after 2/15. This way, an end user can make a largepurchase on the last day of the month, which, under the old system wasthe last day of the billing cycle, and have at least two weeks beforereconcilement is due.

Transaction Debit to Orig Debit to Split Date Description Amount BillingCycle Billing Cycle 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.00 -0- 01-03 Gasoline21.00 21.00 -0- 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 36.00 -0- 01-06 Supermarket 63.0063.00 -0- 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 15.00 -0- 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00-0- 750.00 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 -0- 18.00 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 -0-33.00 TOTAL 984.00 183.00 801.00

The following embodiment shows a variation, which achieves a similarresult to the above, where the end user decides to use split billingcycles instead of the original full billing cycle balance. In thisinstance, the original full-cycle balance is rendered dormant by thetransaction processor, with subsequent activity taking place betweensplit billing cycle #1, and split billing cycle #2. As an aside, inreference to any of these examples, the question of credit limit comesinto play. Any one billing cycle, regardless of whether it is theoriginal billing cycle, or a split billing cycle, may have has its ownavailable credit limit; or, any two or more billing cycles within aplurality of billing cycles may share a total credit limit.

Debit to Debit to Debit to Split Split Orig Billing Billing TransactionBilling Cycle Cycle Date Description Amount Cycle #1 #2 01-02 Restaurant48.00 -0- 48.00 -0- 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 -0- 21.00 -0- 01-05 Shoe Store36.00 -0- 36.00 -0- 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 -0- 63.00 -0- 01-14 Gasoline15.00 -0- 15.00 -0- 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 -0- -0- 750.00 01-24Gasoline 18.00 -0- -0- 18.00 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 -0- -0- 33.00 TOTAL984.00 -0- 183.00 801.00

Billing Cycles Created/Triggered by End User

Up until this point, enabling one split billing cycle cuts the standardbilling cycle in half, where each of the two billing cycles are debitedfor half a billing cycle. It is certainly possible, and within the scopeof this disclosure, for more than two billing cycles to be effected(where three billing cycles would each be debited for a third of abilling cycle, four billing cycles would each be debited for a quarterof a billing cycle, etc), although the end result could become unwieldy.What is also within the scope is where the end user could wish toinitiate a splitting of a singular billing cycle, or an additionalsplitting of an already existing plurality of billing cycles, at arandom point in the billing cycle that does not coincide with thehalf-point, third-point, quarter-point, etc., of the billing cycle. Sayan end user wishes to place an especially large charge on his availablecredit balance, and wishes to maximize the amount of time before thebill becomes due. He can create the start of a new billing cycle, eitherby originating the new billing cycle “at-will” when desired (where theend user simply starts or otherwise specifies the start of a new billingcycle in real-time), or by using a date parameter to schedule the starttime of the new billing cycle, either pre-dating or scheduling ahead oftime (specifying on a Monday the start of a new billing cycle two dayslater on a Wednesday), or even post-dating after the fact (where the enduser specifies on say, a Wednesday, that a new billing cycle was tostart two days prior, on the previous Monday). While the ability topre-date the start of a billing cycle has certain organizationaladvantages, being able post-date the start of a billing cycle is veryuseful whereby if the end user made a large purchase on a Monday, anddecided two days later on a Wednesday that he wanted the Monday purchaseon a new billing cycle, he would be able to create on Wednesday a newbilling cycle that started two days earlier on the prior Monday. In anyevent, once the new cycle is originated, new purchase transaction debitson the current billing cycle can discontinue (where the prior billingcycle would be rendered dormant for new charges, but not for repayment)and new purchase transaction debits can take place on the newlyoriginated cycle.

Transaction Debit to Orig Debit to New Date Description Amount BillingCycle Billing Cycle 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.00 -0- 01-03 Gasoline21.00 21.00 -0- 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 36.00 -0- 01-06 Supermarket 63.0063.00 -0- 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 15.00 -0- 01-18 USER CREATES NEW BILLINGCYCLE FOR APPLIANCE STORE PURCHASE 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 -0-750.00 01-19 USER REVERTS BACK TO OLD BILLING CYCLE FOR REMAINDER OFMONTH 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 18.00 -0- 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 33.00 -0-TOTAL 984.00 234.00 750.00

In this example, the original billing cycle is in force. The end user,realizing that he has a large $750 purchase to make, wants to optimizethe length of time that he has to pay for it, creates a new billingcycle “at-will” just prior to making the desired purchase. To him, thisis absolutely superior to using another credit card account, because theother account's billing cycle could be closing sooner than desired,wherein with the present disclosure, the user is assured the maximumtime on the “at-will” created billing cycle.

It is conceivable that an end user could want the option of revertingback to debiting his preexisting billing cycle. In the above example, onJanuary 19, the end user, via the transaction processor, reverts back tohis old billing cycle, while the newly created billing cycle carryingthe $750 appliance store debit is rendered dormant. Of course, theadditional purchases subsequent to the January 18 $750 appliance storepurchase can very well remain on the same billing cycle as the January18 appliance purchase, should such be desired.

When considering the creation of a new billing cycle, any parameter(s),which also comprise those that have been mentioned earlier with regardto transaction processor debiting, may be used as a trigger. Forexample, in addition to the earlier mentioned date parameter where theuser can schedule the start of the newly created cycle to coincide witha given date, on a pre-dated or post-dated basis, another parametercould be consumption of an available balance, so when, say, at least$1000 of the original balance is consumed, a new billing cycle beginsfor subsequent purchases. Even more interestingly, a given trigger couldbe a transaction threshold amount, so the end user in the above example,instead of creating a new billing cycle “at-will” on January 18, couldjust as easily set an amount threshold where transactions above $500will trigger the start of a new billing cycle, where, per the aboveexample, the January 18 $750 appliance store purchase wouldautomatically trigger a new billing cycle. Limits on the number ofbilling cycles that may be created are purely optional, in thattheoretically an account issuer could possibly even allow an end user tocreate an unlimited number of billing cycles, either created “at-will”,or triggered by any such parameter.

The following is a somewhat exaggerated and complex example of thecapabilities of billing cycles triggered/created by an end user, using arange of parameters for triggering or creating new credit balancebilling cycles. The end user starts off with a zero balance on anoriginal credit balance. Upon consuming at least $2000 of the originalbilling cycle balance (debiting an available balance for at least $2000using a consumption of an available balance parameter), he wants a newbilling cycle to begin.

Should a single transaction (using a transaction threshold parameter) begreater than or equal to $3000, he wants yet another new billing cycleto begin, but only for the large single transaction. On the 15^(th) dayof the month, he wants yet another new billing cycle to begin (using adate parameter for a pre-dated billing cycle scheduling, although he canhave a post-dated billing cycle scheduling should he so choose as well).

Transaction Debit to 1^(st) Debit to 2^(nd) Debit to 3^(rd) Debit to4^(th) Debit to 5^(th) Date Description Amount Billing Cycle BillingCycle Billing Cycle Billing Cycle Billing Cycle 01-02 Airfare 800.00800.00 — — — — 01-03 Hotel 800.00 800.00 — — — — 01-04 Shopping 500.00500.00 — — — — AT LEAST $2000 HAS BEEN CONSUMED ON THIS BILLING CYCLE -NEW BILLING CYCLE WILL BEGIN 01-09 Supermarket 100.00 — 100.00 — — —01-10 Gasoline 50.00 —  50.00 — — — 01-11 Jewelry Store 3,000.00 — —3,000.00 — — 01-11 NEW BILLING CYCLE FOR LARGE SINGLE TRANSACTION 01-12Appliance Store 750.00 — 750.00 — — — 01-15 NEW USER SCHEDULED BILLINGCYCLE BEGINS 01-16 Gasoline 45.00 — — — 45.00 — 01-16 Restaurant 60.00 —— — 60.00 — 01-17 Supermarket 120.00 — — — 120.00 — 01-18 Mechanic350.00 — — — 350.00 — 01-20 Mechanic 750.00 — — — 750.00 — 01-21Gasoline 50.00 — — — 50.00 — 01-23 Mechanic 475.00 — — — 475.00 — 01-26Supermarket 100.00 — — — 100.00 — 01-28 Car Dealer 45,000.00 — — — —45,000.00 01-28 NEW BILLING CYCLE FOR LARGE SINGLE TRANSACTION TOTAL52,950.00 2,100.00  900.00 3,000.00 1,950.00 45,000.00

The first billing cycle begins (debiting the 1^(st) billing cycle), andcontinues until January 4, when at least $2000 of the cycle's availablecredit balance is consumed, and is replaced by a new, second billingcycle (2^(nd) billing cycle). The second billing cycle continues, but istemporary interrupted by a $3000 jewelry store purchase, where the $3000purchase receives its own billing cycle (3^(rd) billing cycle),triggered by a $3000.00 transaction threshold parameter pertaining tothe amount of the purchase. Meanwhile, the January 12 $750.00 ApplianceStore purchase reverts back to the second billing cycle. On the 15^(th)of the month, the end user has scheduled a new billing cycle to begin(4^(th) billing cycle) and continue, whereas on January 28, the$3,000.00 transaction threshold parameter triggers yet another a newbilling cycle (5^(th) billing cycle) for a rather sizable $45,000.00purchase (being a new car), which was probably purchased to put an endto the recent mechanic bills, at least for the time being. Of course, inplace of a transaction threshold parameter, when an end user realizesthat a large purchase is going to occur, or has recently occurred, it iswithin the scope of the transaction processor to allow the end user toset up a separate billing cycle for a purchase, or a group of purchases,before or after the purchases are made via pre-dated or post-datedbilling cycle scheduling parameters. In fact, setting up a separatebilling cycle for a purchase or group of purchases doesn't merely needto pertain to large transactions, but to any transactions desired by theend user. In the above example, there are five billing cyclesillustrated, most likely more than what is practical. Nonetheless, it iswithin the capability of the transaction processor for a giventransaction or group of transactions to be readjusted amongst any one,or more than one, of the available credit balances comprising the fivebilling cycles. Furthermore, should the end user find any of the fivebilling cycles be less than suitable for readjustment purposes, thereexists the capability for the user to create one or more additionalbilling cycles, either by using a triggering parameter such as date oramount, or simply creating an additional billing cycle “at-will” inreal-time.

The following is where the end user in the above example decided toreadjust everything from the first four available creditbalances/billing cycle over to the fifth available creditbalance/billing cycle.

Transaction Debit to 1^(st) Debit to 2^(nd) Debit to 3^(rd) Debit to4^(th) Debit to 5^(th) Date Description Amount Billing Cycle BillingCycle Billing Cycle Billing Cycle Billing Cycle 01-02 Airfare 800.00(800.00) — — — 800.00 01-03 Hotel 800.00 (800.00) — — — 800.00 01-04Shopping 500.00 (500.00) — — — 500.00 01-09 Supermarket 100.00 —(100.00) — — 100.00 01-10 Gasoline 50.00 —  (50.00) — — 50.00 01-11Jewelry Store 3,000.00 — — (3,000.00) — 3,000.00 01-12 Appliance Store750.00 — (750.00) — — 750.00 01-16 Gasoline 45.00 — — — (45.00) 45.0001-16 Restaurant 60.00 — — — (60.00) 60.00 01-17 Supermarket 120.00 — —— (120.00) 120.00 01-18 Mechanic 350.00 — — — (350.00) 350.00 01-20Mechanic 750.00 — — — (750.00) 750.00 01-21 Gasoline 50.00 — — — (50.00)50.00 01-23 Mechanic 475.00 — — — (475.00) 475.00 01-26 Supermarket100.00 — — — (100.00) 100.00 01-28 Car Dealer 45,000.00 — — — —45,000.00 NEW BILLING CYCLE FOR LARGE SINGLE TRANSACTION TOTAL OF$7,950.00 READJUSTED TO FIFTH AVAILABLE CREDIT BALANCE/BILLING CYCLETOTAL 52,950.00 (2,100.00)  (900.00) (3,000.00) (1,950.00) 52.950.00

On January 29, a total of $7,950.00 is readjusted to the fifth availablecredit balance, which as a result totals $52,950.00. At first glance, itseems that such a readjustment could take great advantage of the globalaccount provider. Such could be true, to the point where the globalaccount provider could choose to limit the considerable capabilitiesprovided by the transaction processor to the end user. On the otherhand, the global account provider could offer vast capabilities to thoseend users willing to pay for them. Per the above example, the globalaccount provider could provide everything the end user wants to do inthis example, in exchange for being able to charge accrued interestand/or related fees that could be considerably advantageous to theglobal account provider.

Recombining Split Billing Cycles

An end user, after splitting billing cycles, could desire to recombineeverything back into a single billing cycle. Such recombination may berealized in any myriad of ways. One way is for the end user to eitherturn off, or eliminate entirely, one or more billing cycles until thereis at least one billing cycle remaining; or, turning off or eliminatingall billing cycles entirely, until the end user chooses to continue anexisting billing cycle, or even chooses to newly create a billing cycle,where the new billing cycle is created based on any trigger, such as auser selected date, or a purchase transaction. This is especially easyif the balances that are to be turned off or eliminated are zeroed out(either have been unused for whatever reason, or have been paid off). Asan option, it is possible to have the transaction processor eliminate anadded or created billing cycle/account balance once it is paid off. Thisis potentially useful in terms of the user created billing cycles,wherein once the user created billing cycle is paid off, it iseliminated, and purchase transactions debit the default billing cycle orcycles.

Available account balances that have debits on them (such as those withpurchase amounts outstanding) but have different billing cycles, may berecombined, although chances favor that the account issuer could wantthe recombined single balance to have the nearest closing billing cycle,rather than having purchases made using the nearest closing billingcycle be transferred to a further closing billing cycle.

Other possible ways of recombining all or some of the at least twobilling cycles back to an original, non-split, billing cycle comprise:

By a) using an instruction change to the transaction processor thatreverses, or otherwise modifies, the original changes to the debitingparameter(s) of the original, non-split billing cycle; and, b) switchingoff at least one of the at least one additional billing cycle.

By a) switching off at least one of the at least two billing cycles;and, b) switching on the original, non-split, billing cycle.

Differing Point-of-Sale Identifiers Triggering Differing TransactionProcessor Account-Debiting Instructions

The transaction processor can enable a plurality of differingpoint-of-sale identifiers to trigger, or otherwise access, differingtransaction parameter account-debiting instructions on a given globalaccount. A simple example of this is where a point-of-sale identifierthat is a first magnetic transaction card with a given account number ata point-of-sale triggers one set of account debiting instructions, suchas where all transactions using the first magnetic transaction carddebit an available cash balance, on a given global account; whereas asecond magnetic card with a different account number triggers adifferent set of account debiting instructions, such as where alltransactions using the second magnetic card debit an available creditbalance. In this embodiment, the first card behaves as a cash debitcard, while the second card behaves as a standard credit card. Myriadpossibilities allow for a third, fourth, fifth, etc. magnetictransaction card, where each of the magnetic transaction cards comprisetheir own set of account debiting instructions that may be preset by theissuer, and/or be preset and/or be fully revisable by the end user,where the end user resets the account debiting parameters for any or allof the magnetic transaction cards.

Point-of-sale identifiers are unlimited with regard to potentialembodiments. From a plurality of account numbers as accessed by multiplemagnetic cards, to a point-of-sale prompt accessed by a singular cardwhere the end user enters a selection comprising perhaps a menu choiceor one of a plurality of PIN numbers, to biometrics, etc., any type ofidentifier source that allows for differentiation can be adapted andused. Using biometrics as an example, a fingerprint from an index fingercan trigger one set of account debiting instructions, while afingerprint from a thumb can trigger another set. Left eye, right eye,similar capabilities. Furthermore, point-of-sale identifiers for a givenglobal account do not have to be like kind, so it is possible for an enduser to have access to one set of transaction processor parameters usinga magnetic card, and a different set of transaction processor parametersusing a thumbprint. Furthermore, being that the transaction processorparameters can be continually selected or modified by the end user, itis possible for two or more non-like kind identifiers to trigger oraccess identical transaction processor parameters.

Any one or more of the plurality of differing point-of-sale identifiersmay be turned on or off, either with a toggle, or by setting debitingparameters to “off”, or “zero”, where the “rescue” function mayoptionally be disengaged.

The following example illustrates a template of varied transactionprocessor settings for a plurality of magnetic cards, where, in thiscase, each of the plurality of magnetic cards comprises a differentidentifier, such as a different account number, and where each accountnumber identifier corresponds to its own set of transaction processorsettings for a given global account.

CARD 1—#0000-0000-1234-1234

-   -   CARD ACCESS STATUS: ON    -   100% (ALL) OF TRANSACTION AMOUNTS DEBIT AVAILABLE CASH BALANCE        #1    -   STATUS OF RESCUE FUNCTION FOR TRANSACTIONS IN CASE OF OVERDRAFT        CONDITION: ON

CARD 2—#0000-0000-2345-2345

-   -   CARD ACCESS STATUS: ON    -   100% (ALL) OF TRANSACTION AMOUNTS DEBIT AVAILABLE CREDIT BALANCE        #1    -   STATUS OF RESCUE FUNCTION FOR TRANSACTIONS IN CASE OF OVERDRAFT        CONDITION: ON

CARD 3—#0000-0000-3456-3456

-   -   CARD ACCESS STATUS: ON    -   100% (ALL) OF TRANSACTION AMOUNTS UP TO $20 DEBIT AVAILABLE CASH        BALANCE #1    -   TRANSACTION AMOUNTS BETWEEN $20 AND $50 DEBIT 50% (HALF) OF        TRANSACTION AMOUNT FROM AVAILABLE CASH BALANCE #1, AND 50%        (HALF) OF TRANSACTION AMOUNT FROM AVAILABLE CREDIT BALANCE #1    -   100% (ALL) OF TRANSACTION AMOUNTS ABOVE $50 DEBIT AVAILABLE        CREDIT BALANCE #1 STATUS OF RESCUE FUNCTION FOR TRANSACTIONS IN        CASE OF OVERDRAFT CONDITION: ON

CARD 4—#0000-0000-4567-4567

-   -   CARD ACCESS STATUS: ON    -   100% (ALL) OF TRANSACTION AMOUNTS DEBIT AVAILABLE CASH BALANCE        #2    -   MAXIMUM USE OF AVAILABLE BALANCE IN ONE CALENDAR MONTH BY THIS        CARD—$200.00    -   STATUS OF RESCUE FUNCTION FOR TRANSACTIONS IN CASE OF OVERDRAFT        CONDITION: OFF

Per the above example, Card 1 accesses transaction processor parametersset to act like a standard debit card; Card 2 accesses transactionprocessor parameters set to act like a standard credit card; Card 3accesses transaction processor parameters set for two thresholdsemploying both an available cash balance and an available creditbalance; and, Card 4 accesses transaction processor parameters set toact like a limited use debit card. In the above, Card 4 illustrates aninteresting adaptation. Say that a family has the above global account,and the parents have a son that is going off to college. The parentswant the son to have spending power, but they also want to havecontrols, so for Card 4, the parents set the (earlier disclosed) maximumallowable available account balance usage parameter to allow only amaximum $200.00 consumption of available cash balance #2 to be used inone calendar month. This example could be easily modified to illustrateuse of an available credit balance in place of the available cashbalance. Nonetheless, the maximum allowable available account balanceusage parameter ensures that the son does not use more of the $200available cash balance #2, and the turning off on the “RESCUE” functionensures that once the $200 limit is reached, that no other availablebalance(s) can rescue whatever additional transactions the son mayconsider. Should the son be in a situation requiring an amount increase,and he successfully pleads his case, the parents can alter the maximumallowable available account balance usage parameter to allow anincrease; or, the parents can even revise the debiting parameters ofCard 4 to debit an available credit balance instead of cash balance #2.Should the son demonstrate particular irresponsibility, the parents canreduce the maximum allowable available account balance usage parameterto a lower amount, or cut off the son entirely by switching the toggle(in this case, the “Card Access Status” parameter of Card 4) to “OFF”,which disables Card 4 and basically renders it useless.

Per the above, and in general, funding or replenishing any of aplurality of available cash balances may be done in myriad ways. Forinstance, should the parents wish to add money to available cash balance#2, the funds may be deposited directly into available cash balance #2,or transferred from at least one other available cash balance(s)comprising and/or not comprising the global account, either manually orautomatically, using any criteria for deposit amount and/or balancelevel restoration. An example of balance level restoration is where,say, should an account balance fall to a predetermined amount, a setamount is added, or an amount is added that restores the balance levelto a desired amount; whereas, another example is where, at the beginningor end of a period, or at any interim period point(s), a set amount isadded, or an amount is added that restores the balance level to adesired amount. Additionally, cash balances may be replenished usingreadjustment mechanisms mentioned earlier, or by taking cash advancesagainst any available credit balances, lines of credit, and the like.

The capability of turning/toggling on and off any of a plurality ofdiffering point-of-sale identifiers tied to the global account providesa quick remedy for limiting global account access in the event that oneor more said identifiers is lost or stolen. In the above embodimentusing a plurality of magnetic cards where the identifier is an accountnumber, upon realization that a card comprising the plurality has beenlost or stolen, the end user can access the global account, and switchthe lost or stolen card's access status to “OFF”, which disables thecard, but still enables the remaining cards comprising said plurality tobe used for accessing the global account by the end user, while the enduser waits for a replacement of said lost or stolen card. Such is usefulfor a traveler whose wallet containing one of his global account cardsis stolen. The traveler can access a spare or backup card that he keepsin his money belt, and/or luggage, and disable the stolen card byswitching the stolen card's card access status to “OFF”, while enablingthe spare card by switching spare card's card access status to “ON”, andperhaps revising any account debiting parameters pertaining to the sparecard if necessary or desired. This is superior to keeping an activatedcredit card for an entirely different account in luggage, being thatluggage does get lost and, if found by unauthorized individuals, theactivated card can readily be fraudulently used. This feature offers anadvantage over conventional credit card and debit card embodiments,where when the end user reports a stolen card, the attachedaccount/available account balance is basically unusable untilreplacement cards are expedited to and activated by the end user.

Simple Vs. Advanced, Complex, Compounded, or Multi-Conditional DebitingParameters

In understanding transaction processor functionality in relation to howavailable account balances are affected, examples of account balancedebiting contained herein are based mainly using “IF/THEN” statements.Many presented examples are simple in nature, such as: “IF thetransaction amount is equal to or less than $20, THEN debit theavailable cash balance; whereas, IF the transaction amount is greaterthan $20, THEN debit the available credit balance.”

Using any terminology that is contrary to “Simple”, such as “Advanced”,“Complex”, “Compounded”, or “Multi-Conditional”, it is within the rangeand scope of this disclosure that account balance debiting parameterscan become quite involved.

Such an instance comprises where a simple “IF” condition results in acomplex “THEN” result, such as: “IF the transaction amount is equal toor less than 10% of the available cash balance, THEN debit the first $50of the transaction amount from the available cash balance, and debit anyremainder of the transaction amount above $50 from the available creditbalance; whereas, IF the transaction amount is greater than 10% of theavailable cash balance, THEN debit the first $25 of the transactionamount from the available cash balance, and debit any remainder of thetransaction amount above $25 from the available credit balance.”

Another instance comprises where a complex “IF” condition results in asimple “THEN” result, such as: “IF the transaction amount is less thanor equal to $100, AND the transaction is less than or equal to 10% ofthe available cash balance, AND the available cash balance is greaterthan the average monthly cash balance, THEN debit the transaction amountfrom the available cash balance; whereas, IF the transaction amount isgreater than $100, OR IF the transaction is greater than 10% of theavailable cash balance, OR IF the available cash balance is less thanthe average monthly cash balance, THEN debit the transaction amount fromthe available credit balance.

Yet another instance comprises where a complex “IF” condition results ina complex “THEN” result, such as: “IF the transaction amount is lessthan or equal to $500, AND the transaction is less than or equal to 25%of the available cash balance, AND the available cash balance is greaterthan 50% the average monthly “high water” mark cash balance, THEN debitthe first $250 of the transaction amount from the available cashbalance, and debit any remainder of the transaction amount from theavailable credit balance with the nearest closing billing cycle;whereas, IF the transaction amount is greater than $500, OR IF thetransaction is greater than 10% of the available cash balance, OR IF theavailable cash balance is less than the average monthly cash balance,THEN debit the first $100 of the transaction amount from the availablecash balance, and debit any remainder of the transaction amount from theavailable credit balance with the furthest closing billing cycle.

Complexities and capabilities within the scope of this disclosureregarding transaction processor debiting parameters are limited only bywhat the provider of the transaction processor is willing to offer endusers. It is foreseeable, given the myriad possibilities andpermutations, that a given provider can offer end users capabilitiesthat differ considerably from other providers' offered capabilities.

Miscellaneous Advantages

The present invention presents advantages regarding privacy for the enduser in varied point-of-sale environments. Being that, in most cases,the transaction processor provides for the debiting of varied availableaccount balances as desired by the end user well away from an actualgiven point-of-sale, a merchant cannot reliably ascertain whether thetransaction at hand is debiting one or more available cash balances,and/or one or more available credit balances. Just as importantly, ifnot more so, other individuals standing in line with an end user at agiven point-of-sale cannot determine whether the end user is using oneor more available cash balances, and/or one or more available creditbalances, which not only offers an extra measure of security, but safetyas well. Such is illustrated by a purchaser that uses a PIN number debitcard (which debits an available cash balance) to make a large purchase,whereby the purchaser basically “broadcasts” to surrounding others thepossible existence of a large cash balance that can be potentiallyexploited, whereas the privacy advantages of the present inventionthwarts any certainty that an end user has transacted a large purchaseusing an available cash balance, being that any assumptions by others ofthe nature of the available account balance(s) used by the end user arepurely speculative. Other advantages are related to consolidation ofexpenditure activity. With the present invention, the end user canobserve and control multiple available account balances simultaneously.Furthermore, the consolidation of expenditure activity allows for asingular spending “rewards” program related to the available creditbalance(s) and available cash balance(s), where reward points for all ofthe varied activity by the end user accumulate under one umbrella.

A powerful feature of the transaction processor is where a giventransaction that is already posted may be switched from one alreadydebited balance to another available balance. This feature can beaccomplished manually by the end user, preset by the end-user orautomatically use preset and/or adjustable, between cash or creditaccounts, e.g., where a ratio and/or threshold amount is specifiedbetween one or more cash debit and credit accounts, or where cash debitcard users can use one or more credit accounts as an effective overdraftprotection.

The following example shows a list of posted transactions where 50% ofthe transaction amount debited an available cash balance, while theremaining 50% debited an available credit balance.

Date Description Amount Cash Credit 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 24.00 24.0001-03 Gasoline 21.00 10.50 10.50 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 18.00 18.0001-06 Supermarket 63.00 31.50 31.50 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 7.50 7.50 01-18Appliance Store 750.00 375.00 375.00

When viewing the postings on January 26, the end user determines that hewould like to have more available cash in his global account, and inmaking the determination feels that he would like to revise the January18 Appliance Store purchase so that the entire $750 debits the availablecredit balance, which will return the $375 cash that was previouslydebited from his available cash balance.

To perform this operation, the end user clicks on the January 18Appliance Store transaction, highlights by clicking on the $375 cash inthe cash debit column, and enters zero. The transaction processor checksthe available credit balance, sees that the available credit balance canadequately handle an additional $375 debit, and automatically readjuststhe debit on the available credit balance to read $750. In essence, theend user can enter an amount greater than zero, which would still leavesome residual amount debiting the available cash balance for the January18 transaction, and would readjust the debit to the available creditbalance accordingly. While in most cases it is desirable for thetransaction processor to make the amount readjustments automatically inresponse to a revision entered by the end user, there could beembodiments where more than one adjustment amount could be enteredmanually, with the transaction processor then verifying that the totalcorrectly adds up and then checking the available account balance(s) tosee if the account balance(s) have the resources to allow the changebefore the readjustment is permitted. While such embodiments comprisingmanual entries can be used for global accounts comprising only twoavailable account balances, such manual entry capabilities areespecially useful for embodiments comprising three or more availableaccount balances, where a readjustment to one account balance by the enduser requires a non-obvious offset using at least one of the two or moreremaining accounts. For example, if an end user wishes to make areadjustment that frees up $100 in one available account balance, andhas a choice of using two other available account balances to offset the$100 amount, how that $100 is taken from the two remaining accountbalances is non-obvious, and thus requires the end user to actuallyspecify the desired amount change(s) to either or both of the tworemaining available account balances. The example mentioned earlier inthe paragraph is as follows:

Date Description Amount Cash Credit 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 -0-750.00

The end result is where the end user now has an extra available $375cash balance thanks to the transfer. It is very important to keep inmind that the $375 is not a cash advance; rather, it is merely arestoration of a prior cash balance. There are no real implications herewith regard to back interest. Assuming a grace period is in place, thereis a chance that the extra $375 debit to the available credit balancewill be paid off before interest is assessed. In the event that thegrace period does not apply, then the card issuer can charge interest onthe extra $375 from the date that the available credit balance isdebited by the extra $375. Whether or not a feature fee, a per-use fee,or a percentage of the readjustment amount is charged for this end userreadjustment feature is basically up to the card issuer/accountprovider.

Keep in mind that while a singular transaction was highlighted andreadjusted in the above example, it is possible to perform such afunction on more than one transaction, either one at a time, orsimultaneously. Also, an important aspect of this disclosure is wheretransactions that are readjusted from debiting, say, an available cashbalance to an available credit balance, thus increasing the amount ofthe available cash balance, can theoretically be readjusted or switchedback and forth (from available credit back to available cash andvice-versa, or switched back and forth between any of the availablebalances in global account embodiments comprising more than twoavailable balances) any number of times without limit, using full and/orpartial amounts. However, in practice, a global account provider couldultimately seek to place limits on its end users with regards to thenumber or nature of such readjustments or switches.

In illustrating a residual, or partial, amount transfer mentionedearlier, if the end user prefers to free up only an additional $200 ofthe consumed cash balance instead of the full $375 cash amount used forthe January 18 transaction, the end user may do so. As a result,referring to the prior example, the January 18 $750 appliance storepurchase debits the available cash balance for a revised amount of $175,thus freeing up $200 cash from the original $375 debit to the availablecash balance, and the debit to the available credit balance is increasedby the $200 amount, so now the readjustment debits the available creditbalance for $575 instead of the original $375 amount. Furthermore, if anend user subsequently chooses to free up all or part of the remaining$175 debit to the available cash balance, it is certainly within thescope of this disclosure to permit such additional readjustment.

Date Description Amount Cash Credit 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 175.00575.00

What happens if the opposite were to occur, where the end user wants tofree up more of the available credit balance? On January 26, the enduser clicks on the January 18 Appliance Store transaction, highlights byclicking on the $375 credit debit column, and enters zero. Thetransaction processor checks the available cash balance, sees that theavailable cash balance can adequately handle an additional $375 debit,and automatically readjusts the debit on the available cash balance toread $750, while at the same time is crediting the available creditbalance by $375.

Date Description Amount Cash Credit 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 750.00-0-

In this situation, there could be implications here with regards to backinterest. If a grace period applies, then no back interest should bedue; however, if a grace period does not apply, then there are 8 days ofback interest that could still be due. Being that the transaction postedback on January 18, and the change was made on January 26, the customercould be charged 8 days interim interest on the $375 that was borrowedfrom the available credit balance and paid to the appliance storemerchant. In such a case it could be anyone's guess on how a cardissuer/account provider would view such a situation, especially if thecard issuer/account provider is earning revenue all along on along-standing and sizable available cash balance belonging to thecustomer that was the source of the $375 used to credit the customer'savailable credit balance.

It is also possible with the transaction processor to highlight agrouping of posted transactions, and reset any of the global parameterssuch as ratio, amount threshold, remainder threshold, etc., and have allthe posted transactions readjust.

For instance, instead of the transactions debiting the available cashand available credit balances 50%-50%, as the example below, the enduser can highlight, say, the last four transactions . . .

Date Description Amount Cash Credit 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 24.00 24.0001-03 Gasoline 21.00 10.50 10.50 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 18.00 18.0001-06 Supermarket 63.00 31.50 31.50 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 7.50 7.50 01-18Appliance Store 750.00 375.00 375.00

Then reset the global parameters so the highlighted transactions arereadjusted to where the 50%-50% ratio is replaced with, say, a remainderthreshold where transaction amounts up to $20 debit the available cashbalance, and remainder amounts above $20 debit the available creditbalance. The resulting account debiting of the posted transactions,assuming adequate available account balances, are as follows:

Date Description Amount Cash Credit 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 20.00 16.0001-06 Supermarket 63.00 20.00 43.00 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 15.00 -0- 01-18Appliance Store 750.00 20.00 730.00 

The net change to the two account balances is where the available cashbalance is credited $357, while the available credit balance is debited$357. As mentioned earlier, the credited cash is a restoration of whatwas in the available cash balance, which is good for the cardissuer/account provider, being that the card issuer/account providermakes money on both the cash parked in the account, and on the increasedcredit usage. Resetting the parameters globally may comprise any of theparameters, such as ratio, amount threshold, remainder threshold, etc.

Furthermore, it is possible with the transaction processor to specify areadjustment using a specific amount, so specific transactions willautomatically readjust according to, say, a desired dollar amount. Anautomatic readjustment may use any method in order to effect thereadjustment such as FIFO (first in, first out), LIFO (last in, firstout), lowest value transaction first, highest transaction value first,partial amounts of several transactions, etc. In the following example,an end user paid a total of $933.00 debiting only the available cashbalance as follows:

Date Description Amount Cash Credit 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.00 -0-01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 -0- 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 36.00 -0- 01-06Supermarket 63.00 63.00 -0- 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 15.00 -0- 01-18Appliance Store 750.00 750.00 -0- TOTAL 933.00 933.00 -0-

Subsequently, the end user lets the transaction processor know that theend user wants $300.00 of the $933.00 back in cash, where thereadjustment debits the available credit balance and credits theavailable cash balance. In this instance, the end user really doesn'tcare which transactions are affected by the readjustment; rather, theend user is solely interested in the net effect of having an additional$300.00 credit the available cash balance. As mentioned above, thetransaction processor may select which transactions are affected by anymethod. To illustrate the following example, FIFO (first in, first out)will be used, so of the six transactions listed below, all of the firstfive and part of the sixth transaction will be readjusted, where thetotal readjustments yield the $300 credit to the available cash balance,and a total debit amount of $300 to the available credit balance.

Date Description Amount Cash Credit 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 -0- 48.0001-03 Gasoline 21.00 -0- 21.00 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 -0- 36.00 01-06Supermarket 63.00 -0- 63.00 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 -0- 15.00 01-18Appliance Store 750.00 633.00 117.00 TOTAL 933.00 633.00 300.00

In this next embodiment, it is possible to make a readjustment that isnot transaction specific, that is, where one or more specifictransactions are readjusted, but rather where the readjustment is amountspecific. In the example below, the end user made a total of $933.00 ofpurchases using the available cash balance. Here, the account issuer canenable the end user to credit the end user's available cash balance(restoring cash to the available cash balance while debiting theavailable credit balance) without having to involve any specifictransactions whatsoever. In this instance, the transaction processorsees that $933.00 of purchases were made by debiting the available cashbalance, and so allows the end user to readjust up to $933.00, resultingin a credit to the available cash balance, and a debit to the availablecredit balance. The up to $933.00 debit to the available credit balancecould simply be acknowledged as a lump-sum amount, and not as a listingof readjusted transactions, although the issuer can display the lump-sumamount eligible for readjustment (and/or the amount that has alreadybeen readjusted), as well as maintaining the option of listing thespecific transactions that were affected by the readjustment.

Date Description Amount Cash Credit 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.00 -0-01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 -0- 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 36.00 -0- 01-06Supermarket 63.00 63.00 -0- 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 15.00 -0- 01-18Appliance Store 750.00 750.00 -0- TOTAL 933.00 933.00 -0-

“END USER HAS $933.00 OF CASH BALANCE PURCHASES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FORREADJUSTMENT ONTO THE AVAILABLE CREDIT BALANCE”

Per the above, should the end user choose to make an amount specificreadjustment of $400.00 of the $933.00 cash balance purchases, where thereadjustment credits the available cash balance and debits the availablecredit balance for the $400.00 amount, and the end user has a $533.00remainder that can still be readjusted, text may be modified as follows:

“END USER HAS $533.00 OF CASH BALANCE PURCHASES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FORREADJUSTMENT ONTO THE AVAILABLE CREDIT BALANCE” “END USER HAS A $400.00MISCELLANEOUS DEBIT TO THE AVAILABLE CREDIT BALANCE AS A RESULT OFREADJUSTMENT”

It is especially important to be reminded that the readjustment thatenables the end user to basically pull cash out of the end user'stransaction activity is not the same as a “cash advance” against anavailable credit balance, because the cash that the end user pulls outis cash that originally belonged to the end user anyway. In the same waythat an end user may theoretically make any number of transactionspecific readjustments without limit (as mentioned earlier), the enduser may make any number of amount specific readjustments back and forthbetween any of the available balances comprising the at least twoavailable balances of the global account. It is conceivable that an enduser could wish to actually withdraw more cash than the amount availablevia a readjustment. Pertaining to the above example, if an end userwished to have a cash withdrawal totaling $1000.00, and wished toreadjust the entire $933.00 transaction activity to free up the cashthat the end user used for the prior purchases, then the $1000.00 cashwithdrawal could be realized by readjusting the $933.00 purchases, andthen taking out the additional $67.00 in the form of a “cash advance”against the available credit balance. The desired cash withdrawal wouldstill show a total debiting of the available credit balance(s) for$1000.00; however, only $67.00 of the $1,000.00 debit against theavailable credit balance(s) would be due to an actual “cash advance”. Asmentioned earlier, the transaction processor functions with any type ofsecurity/verification and/or system routing, such as PIN-based AutomatedClearing House (ACH) environments or electronic funds transfer (EFT),wireless, internet, radio, telephonic, radio/contactless. In embodimentsusing ACH access, transaction specific readjustments, and/or an amountspecific readjustments can comprise where said readjustments includecrediting an available cash balance by debiting a line of credit, ordebiting an available credit balance, where the issuer considers thereadjustment that pulls cash out as a debit to the line of credit, or asa “cash advance” against the available credit balance, and charge thecustomer interest relating to the line of credit, or additional “cashadvance” fees and higher interest rates relating to debiting theavailable credit balance. Note that it is possible for an accountprovider to allow use of the available credit balance in suchembodiments in exchange for more traditional credit balance use terms(sans additional “cash advance” fees and higher interest rates), forwhatever reason(s) or considerations.

Whether by using a transaction specific readjustment, and/or an amountspecific readjustment, the ability to reclaim cash from purchasetransactions already made (where the purchase transactions originallydebited an available cash balance, and are readjusted to debit anavailable credit balance, thereby crediting or restoring funds back toan available cash balance) offers an unexpected result and potentiallyvery lucrative benefit for issuers of the global account by greatlyincreasing the risk of default for the entire global account by the enduser, which in turn enables the issuer to justify and charge higherfees, especially in relation to those fees earned that are associatedwith purchase transactions, such as interchange fees. Financial cardaccount issuers charge relatively higher fees for transactions performedwith their credit cards (which debit an available credit balance) thanfor transactions performed with their debit cards (which debit anavailable cash balance). This is due to the fact that credit cardaccounts carry the risk of the end user defaulting on payment to thecard issuer for charges made by the end user. An example is where an enduser charges $10,000 on his credit card account, and then skips townwithout paying any of the principal or interest due on the account,thereby leaving the card issuer “holding the bag”. A typical debit carddoes not carry this risk due to the fact that the end user uses his owncash instead of an available credit balance, so the risks that debitcard issuers tend to have is in having to make restitution to an enduser that was the victim of debit card fraud or theft, which tends to bea much smaller risk in dollar terms (and thus carries a smaller riskpremium) than credit card account default risk. Thanks to thisreadjustment concept of the present disclosure, an end user of a globalaccount can make purchase transactions using $10,000 of an availablecash balance in the global account, which is the end user's own money(and which, in a typical debit card account, carries no default risk tothe card issuer); then, the end user can readjust the $10,000 inpurchase transactions so the transactions debit an available creditbalance in the global account for the $10,000 amount, resulting wherethe available cash balance that was originally used for the purchases is(re)credited for the $10,000 amount; then, the end user can withdraw the(re)credited $10,000 amount from the global account, and then default onthe $10,000 debit to the available credit balance, where the debit tothe available credit balance was created by the readjustment. It is inthis way that an end user that uses only his own available cash balancefor a given purchase transaction can still present a default risk forthe entire transaction amount to the provider of the global account.While the potential for higher fee revenue affects the merchants in anegative way, there are also unexpected results that benefit merchantsas well. First, if an end user has a tendency to favor available cashbalances for purchases, the end user is likely to be less watchful ofcash balance levels, and is therefore likely to spend more with a givenmerchant, if the end user has a readjustment mechanism or “safety valve”readily in place that enables transactions to be readjusted from anavailable cash balance to an available credit balance, being that thereadjustment mechanism provides a remedy to potential available cashbalance shortfalls. Second, an end user that has a tendency to favoravailable cash balances for purchases, but has an unexpected cashbalance shortfall, now has the option of using the readjustmentmechanism, rather than returning the purchased item to the merchant,resulting in fewer returned items for the merchant, and less runningaround for the end user.

As mentioned earlier, it is possible for at least one of the availableaccount balances comprising the global account to have its own accountnumber that enables access via credit card, debit card, ATM card, draft,etc. that is distinct from the account numbers used to access the globalaccount. Regardless of how the varied accounts are accessed, transactionspecific readjustments and/or amount specific readjustments may beperformed among the varied available account balances.

Furthermore, and very importantly, the ability to perform transactionspecific readjustments, and/or an amount specific readjustments in orderto reclaim cash from purchase transactions already made, with or withoutthe capability to make any number of readjustments back and forthbetween any of the available balances, is disclosed as being highly andespecially advantageous as an additional enhancement to old and wellknown embodiments of accounts that use a singular available balance,such as debit card accounts, ATM card accounts, checking accounts, andthe like that comprise a singular available cash balance; and, creditcard accounts, lines of credit, and the like that comprise a singularavailable credit balance.

As discussed earlier, if the user has made a number of purchasesdebiting the available cash balance, and does not have enough cashbalance on hand to cover a demand draft (personal check that debits thecash balance), or an ATM cash withdrawal for that matter, an availablecredit balance that is a part of the global account can issue a cashadvance to cover the cash balance deficit (using “Rescue or Reject” or“Best Fit” criteria to access an available credit balance obtain a cashadvance for cash withdrawals). Such cash advances carry fees that endusers may not like, so a cash overdraft due to a personal check, adesired ATM withdrawal, and the like can be remedied using thetransaction specific readjustment or amount specific readjustmentmechanisms described above. Here, an appropriate setting on thetransaction processor can detect an overdraft condition, and performeither a transaction specific readjustment or amount specificreadjustment that converts debits to the cash balance into debits to thecredit balance, thus producing cash in the amount necessary to cover theoverdraft. While it is possible for a readjustment that addresses anoverdraft condition to comprise a manual entry by the end user, apreferred embodiment is where the transaction processor, upon detectionof the overdraft condition, performs the readjustment automatically.

Finally, a question here is whether the end user can make thesereadjustments after the billing cycle closes. It is certainly possiblefor the transaction processor to enable posted transactions to remainaccessible for readjustment after the billing cycle closes, but it isnot without difficulties. One consideration includes systemcapabilities. Another consideration involves where end users that carrya large credit balance due can become especially confused by the shearnumber of past transactions presented, which could tax customer servicesresources considerably. While there is certain value to being able tomake readjustments to transactions up to the close of the billing cycle,the value of offering such accommodations after the close of the billingcycle certainly diminish, while the difficulties in offering suchpost-billing cycle readjustments certainly increase. Nonetheless, it isdisclosed that an end user can make post-billing cycle readjustments,should the offering card entity/account provider choose to allow it.

Should a purchase return to a merchant be necessary, the transactionprocessor is able to record transactions by retaining merchantinformation combined with the amount of a given transaction, furthercombined with a record of how the accounts were debited at the time ofthe transaction, so an incoming credit for a return hits the variedaccount balances the same way the original transaction debited thebalances. For example, if a credit is sent from merchant X for $21.50,the transaction processor scans the file for a record of the transactiontotaling $21.50 from merchant X. Upon locating a match for the merchantand the amount, the credit is portioned among the account balanceseither 1) the same way it was originally debited from the accountbalances, or 2) if the posted transaction was readjusted by the enduser, by using the readjusted parameters. Whichever method is used mayeither be selectable by the end user, or may be predetermined by thecard issuer/account provider.

If all transactions for a given merchant are debited using the sameaccount balance debiting parameters, with none of the parameters beingchanged, and none of the posted transactions being readjusted, thenthere is no problem determining the parameters to use for crediting therefund from the merchant. If there is more than one transaction from thesame merchant for the same amount, and the parameters were changed, orthe transactions were readjusted, then the determination on whichtransaction the refund is crediting can be made on a first in, first out(FIFO) or last in, first out (LIFO) basis. Again, the method used may beselectable by the end user, or predetermined by the card issuer/accountprovider. Date is not a reliable matching parameter, because, dependingon the capabilities of the various merchant systems used, returningcredits may or may not include the date of the original transaction.Certainly, date matching will help such matters immeasurably once itbecomes universal. The situation for determining parameters to use forcrediting a return become even more complicated on partial returns. Ifthere is only one transaction for a given merchant, it may be assumedsomewhat safely that even though the amount of the partial return creditdoes not match the original transaction amount, the partial returncredit does indeed pertain to the singular transaction. Another way ofdetermining the transaction a partial return pertains to, and thus whichparameters will be used for crediting, is by having the transactionprocessor look at the amount. If there are three transactions with agiven merchant, and the partial return credit is greater than two of thetransactions, but less than the third, then it may be assumed that thepartial return pertains to that third transaction. If the partial returnappears that it could belong to more than one transaction, then adetermination can be made using either a FIFO or LIFO basis as to whichcrediting parameters are to be used.

It is reasonable for returns to be processed using the same parametersthat were used to perform the original transaction, especially sinceother methods could create opportunities for abuse. For example, if anend user were allowed to specify that all returns are to credit theavailable cash balance, there would be little preventing the end userfrom charging large amounts using the available credit balance,returning those items, having the returned funds credit his availablecash balance, withdrawing cash from the available cash balance, andbasically using his credit balance for a fee free cash advance. In sucha situation, chances are good that the interest rate on the consumedcredit balance is less than the interest rate on a cash advance, so theissuer would lose not once (on the cash advance fee) but twice (on thecash advance fee, and the lower interest rate charged on the consumedcredit balance).

Controlling all of this capability is the interface. In most cases, itis desirable for the actual end user to be able to use the interfacedirectly; however, it is possible for an embodiment to comprise wherethe end user uses the interface indirectly, such as where the end usercalls up a customer service representative, and the customer servicerepresentative, acting as an intermediary, makes the actual changes tothe global account or transaction processor using an interface on behalfof the end user.

Whatever the situation, the interface may comprise the usage of anycommunicative system component, format or technology, from any location.For example, the end user can access the interface via the Internet, bycalling a customer service representative, by using use a menu drivenphone system where the changing of parameters such as account debitingparameters is enabled by punching numbers on a phone (a tele-accountsystem), via an intranet at the branch of the card-issuing bank, by fax,mail, etc.

It is foreseeable that such changes could be performed at apoint-of-sale terminal; however, such an embodiment requires specialequipment and programming, and could be difficult due to the expense andthe level of cooperation needed to become widespread. Besides, having anend user toil with parameters at a point-of-sale terminal goes againstthe spirit of the present invention, which is basically to swipe and go,where having the transaction processor automatically perform specializedfunctions eliminates having to go through various rituals at apoint-of-sale terminal

An end user that wishes to make changes to the transaction processorregarding the debiting of the at least two available account balancesand other parameters in a purchase environment can simply use a cellphone to either call up a customer service representative or access atele-account system, or use a handheld personal assistant that enableswireless Internet access, and make the desired changes to thetransaction processor in real-time before his purchases are tallied.Such capability saves time at the actual point-of-sale, is less taxingon the cashier, and is much more considerate of the other customersstanding in line. The fact that the facilitating of capabilities withregard to account debiting and other parameters requires absolutely nospecial point-of-sale manipulations or equipment is viewed asadvantageous.

As mentioned earlier, the second embodiment of the transaction processorcomprises the use of a smart data card embodiment. Smart data cardembodiments used in point-of-sale environments require specialpoint-of-sale equipment to take full advantage of the variedcapabilities. For this application, the type of smart data card neededis a microprocessor card, which contains a microprocessor semiconductorchip. The smart data card links together and controls at least twoavailable account balances, and enables a given transaction to bedebited from the at least two available account balances from apoint-of-sale terminal according to parameters discussed in the globalaccount embodiment, such as at least one ratio, at least one amountthreshold, at least one remainder threshold, and where parameters in thesmart data card enable at least one given available account balance tobe disengaged, minimum available balance parameters to be set, andmaximum allowable transaction amounts to be set.

The smart data card embodiment of the transaction processor can be usedwith any combination of accounts, regardless of whether they arein-house or out-of-house to the entity that issues the smart data card.In fact, it is entirely possible for the provider of the smart data cardto be a third-party entity that is in no way responsible for any of theavailable account balances accessible via the smart data card. In suchan embodiment, the smart data card is programmed to access the availableaccount balances using the various account numbers of the availableaccount balances. For example, the microprocessor on the smart data cardcan be programmed to analyze an incoming transaction amount at a pointof sale, and using a 50%-50% ratio debit the available cash accountbalance or cash sub-account balance at institution #1 for half of thetransaction amount while debiting an available credit balance atinstitution #2 for the remaining half of the transaction. Using athreshold example, the microprocessor on the smart data card can beprogrammed to automatically debit an available cash balance atinstitution #1 for transactions up to $50, and to debit an availablecredit balance at institution #2 for transactions above $50.

Also, the microprocessor on the smart data card can be programmed todebit available account balances according to Best Fit or Rescue orReject criteria discussed earlier.

As is known in the art, a smart data card may be programmed, andparameters can be selected and/or modified using a smart data cardinterface. The smart data card interface may be part of, at the site of,or away from the site of the actual point-of-sale terminal.

In the typical PIN based debit card embodiment, when a transaction isperformed, the money leaves the purchaser's cash account in real time,and goes to pay the merchant. Should a purchaser need money for anemergency, or to avoid a potential overdraft situation regarding a checkdrawn on the cash account, the only way that the money spent during thetransaction can be retrieved and used for the emergency or overdraft isif the purchased transaction item is returned to the merchant, which isdifficult in many situations, and impossible (or really gross) in others(such as if the item purchased was a meal in a restaurant).

As presented above, the end user accesses his account, and clicks on theselected transaction in order to, say, convert a debit from an availablecash balance to a debit from an available credit balance, resultingwhere cash is placed back into the cash balance, and the purchasetransaction that started all of this is debited from the availablecredit balance.

In another embodiment, certain conditions can trigger such a conversionautomatically, and not just where the end user clicks on thetransaction. One of goals with this disclosure is to offer a superioralternative to the popular PIN based debit cards.

In the crebit version of a debit card, an end user may have thetransaction processor set so all transactions debit only an availablecash balance, with there nonetheless being an available credit balanceas part of the global account. Devout debit users normally would try toavoid using the available credit balance; nonetheless, the creditbalance acts as a useful emergency backup. In this situation, thefollowing can happen:

At any time during a billing cycle (credit balances have a billingcycle, whereas cash balances have more of an activity cycle thatstatements are based on), if the user has made a number of purchasesdebiting the available cash balance, and does not have enough cashbalance on hand to cover an ATM cash withdrawal, or a demand draft(personal check that debits the cash balance), the credit balance canissue a cash advance to cover it as presented above (using the availablecredit balance to Rescue or Reject as a cash advance for cashwithdrawals). Anyway, cash advances carry fees that end users may notlike, so to attract end users, such a cash overdraft due to an ATMwithdrawal or personal check can be prevented by looking at recentcrebit purchase transactions using the available cash balance, andautomatically converting debits to the cash balance into debits to thecredit balance, thus producing cash in the necessary amount in order tocover the amount of the overdraft. As to which transactions comprisingdebits to the available cash balance are converted into debits to theavailable credit balance to regenerate cash, such may be determinedusing any desired method, such as LIFO (last in-first out), FIFO (firstin-first out), etc.

Such capabilities may happen at any time before or after the close ofthe available credit balance billing cycle, with before the close of thebilling cycle being less complicated to implement (mentioned in parentapplications).

Such capability is very useful in addition to the procedures presentedabove, where all purchase transactions debit one available balanceexclusively (generally the available credit balance), where debit cardtransactions have the available cash balance credit the available creditbalance at any time prior to the close of the credit balance's billingcycle.

By enabling transactions that debit the available cash balance toconvert, especially to convert automatically, to the available creditbalance, thus regenerating cash for withdrawal/overdraft protectionpurposes, the risk of default by the end user using cash balances isincreased to the level of a credit card transaction. This is extremelydesirable in that issuers can justify charging higher interchange rateson merchants than they could with signature debit card transactions.

While the transaction processor is envisioned to provided the end usergreat flexibility with regard to how a given transaction is debited fromdifferent available account balances, the it is possible that the entitythat offers and administers the disclosed financial card account, orthat offers the smart data card embodiment described herein, could electto give an end user numerous options and choices, or could choose topare down the capabilities available to the end user considerably. Also,the entity could choose to have certain parameters pre-established,where such parameters either possess or lack the capability to bechanged or otherwise modified by the end user. As a result, embodimentsand features of this invention can vary a great deal in the real world,depending on which capabilities a given offering entity chooses toprovide and/or allow.

Prior examples included where a transaction amount debited one or moreavailable cash balances and/or one or more available credit balancesdepending on parameters per the transaction processor. Another means iswhere all transaction amounts debit an initial singular availableaccount balance, where, depending on parameters per the transactionprocessor, either 1) a given transaction amount remains wholly as adebit to the initial singular available balance, 2) a given transactionamount remains as a partial debit to the initial singular availablebalance, whereby the balance of the partial debit is automatically movedfrom the initial singular available balance to at least one differentavailable balance; or, 3) a given transaction amount, in its entirety,is automatically moved from the initial singular available balance to atleast one different available balance.

While an initial purchase transaction debits an initial singularavailable balance, automatically moving, or transferring, a transactionamount from the initial singular available balance to at least onedifferent available balance may be visualized as where the debit to theinitial singular available balance is credited, and the at least onedifferent available balance is debited, for the transaction amount thatis being moved. Timeframe is another aspect that needs to be consideredwith regard to the automated movement, or transfer, of the transactionamount from the initial singular available balance to the at least onedifferent available balance. While one may assume that, per thetransaction processor making the transfer, that the desired transferitself occurs immediately upon or after the debit to the initialsingular available balance occurs, such may or may not necessarily bethe case. The entity that offers the global account/transactionprocessor to the end user may choose any timeframe for when suchtransfers occur, such as immediately upon or after the debit to theinitial singular available balance occurs; or, two minutes, two hours,two days, etc., after the debit to the initial singular availablebalance occurs. While such a cornerstone decision regarding timeframe ismost likely best left to the entity that offers the globalaccount/transaction processor to the end user, it is not impossible forthe end user to have some, or much, say with regard to such timeframeparameters.

In the following example, all transactions debit an initial singularavailable credit balance. However, in this case, the transactionprocessor has a threshold parameter where the end user wants alltransaction amounts up to $25 to debit his available cash balance, andall transaction amounts above $25 to debit the available credit balance.

Therefore, while all amounts initially debit the available creditbalance, for transaction amounts up to $25, the amount, within anyspecified timeframe, will be debited from the available cash balance,and credited to the available credit balance, resulting in a zero netbalance to the initial credit balance for those transaction amounts of$25 and below. Due to concepts discussed earlier, such as Rescue andReject and Best Fit, should there not be an adequate available cashbalance to enable the transfer from the initial singular availablecredit balance debit to a debit to the available cash balance for thosetransaction amounts of $25 and below, the capability exists for thosetransaction amounts to remain as a debit to the initial singularavailable credit balance.

Amt Initial Debited Net Credit From Effect Transaction Bal Cash InitialDate Description Amount Debit Bal Credit 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.00-0- 48.00 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 21.00 -0- 01-05 Shoe Store 36.0036.00 -0- 36.00 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 63.00 -0- 63.00 01-14 Gasoline15.00 15.00 15.00 -0- 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 750.00 -0- 750.00 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 18.00 18.00 -0- 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 33.00 -0-33.00 TOTAL 984.00 984.00 54.00 930.00 

What is interesting is that by setting the transaction processor so thatall transaction amounts which debit the initial singular availablecredit balance are automatically zeroed out (within any specifiedtimeframe) by an available cash balance, the global account behavessimilarly to a standard debit card account, but with the irony ofemploying an available credit balance.

In the example that follows, again, all transactions debit an initialsingular available credit balance. However, in this case, thetransaction processor has a threshold parameter where the end userdesires that amounts up to and including the first $20 of alltransaction amounts will debit his available cash balance, and that allremainder amounts above $20 will debit the available credit balance.Therefore, while all amounts initially debit the available creditbalance, amounts up to and including the first $20 of each transaction,within any specified timeframe, will be debited from the available cashbalance, and credited to the available credit balance, resulting in azero net balance to the initial credit balance for those transactionamounts of $25 and below.

Amt Initial Debited Net Credit From Effect Transaction Bal Cash InitialDate Description Amount Debit Bal Credit 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.0020.00 28.00 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 20.00 1.00 01-05 Shoe Store 36.0036.00 20.00 16.00 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 63.00 20.00 43.00 01-14Gasoline 15.00 15.00 15.00 -0- 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 750.00 20.00730.00 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 18.00 18.00 -0- 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 33.0020.00 13.00 TOTAL 984.00 984.00 153.00 831.00

While it is perceived as preferable that having an initial singularavailable balance from which all transactions are debited be a creditbalance as opposed to a cash balance, it is possible to have the initialsingular available balance be a cash balance. In the following example,all transactions are debited from an initial singular available cashbalance. In this case, the end user wants all transaction amounts above$50 to debit the available credit balance and credit the available cashbalance, while transactions up to and including $50 remain as a debit tothe available cash balance.

Amt Initial Debited Cash From Net Effect Transaction Bal Credit InitialDate Description Amount Debit Bal Cash 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.00 -0-48.00 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 -0- 21.00 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 36.00-0- 36.00 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 63.00  63.00 -0- 01-14 Gasoline 15.0015.00 -0- 15.00 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 750.00 750.00 -0- 01-24Gasoline 18.00 18.00 -0- 18.00 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 33.00 -0- 33.00TOTAL 984.00 984.00 813.00 171.00 

A subtle variation is where all transactions debit an initial singularavailable balance (whether credit or cash balance), but then a giventransaction amount, in its entirety, is automatically transfer or movedfrom the initial singular available balance to at least one differentavailable balance, where the net effect on the initial credit balancealways zeroes out. As discussed earlier, in the case where the initialsingular available balance is a credit balance, the given transactionamounts that the transaction processor assigns to debit the availablecash balance(s) are used in order to credit (and zero out) the initialcredit balance. The variation is illustrated with an example comprisingat least one additional or sub available credit account balance. In thisexample, transaction amounts up to and including $25 have the availablecash balance crediting the debit to the initial singular availablecredit balance that was created by the transaction, which results in adebit to the available cash balance; whereas transaction amounts above$25 have the sub available credit balance crediting the debit to theinitial singular available credit balance created by the transaction,which results in a debit to the sub available credit balance. This givesrise to where one available credit balance (the initial singularavailable credit balance) is zeroed out (credited) by debiting adifferent available credit balance (the sub available credit accountbalance). As mentioned before, any desired timeframe for this transfer,or zeroing out is possible. It is this debit to the sub available creditaccount balance that the end user ultimately pays.

Ini Amt Sub Net Credit Debited Credit Effect Trans Bal Frm Cash Bal IniDate Description Amount Debit Bal debit Credit 01-02 Restaurant 48.0048.00 -0- 48.00 -0- 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 21.00 -0- -0- 01-05 ShoeStore 36.00 36.00 -0- 36.00 -0- 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 63.00 -0- 63.00-0- 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 15.00 15.00 -0- -0- 01-18 Appliance 750.00750.00 -0- 750.00  -0- Store 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 18.00 18.00 -0- -0-01-30 Restaurant 33.00 33.00 -0- 33.00 -0- TOTAL 984.00 984.00 54.00930.00  -0-

The following example illustrates a more complex embodiment where atransaction amount, instead of debiting an initial singular availablebalance whereby a given transaction amount may or may not be transferredto at least one different available balance, debits instead an initialplurality of available balances, whereby any or all of the initialplurality of available balances may or may not be transferred to atleast one different available balance. Here, transaction amounts above$25 debit the initial credit balance, while transaction amounts up toand including $25 debit the initial cash balance. Within any specifiedtimeframe, the net effect on the initial credit and initial cashbalances is where they are zeroed out by their respective sub credit andsub cash accounts. There can be any reason for desiring such levels ofcomplexity. Being that available balances comprising the global account,whether available cash balances or available credit balances, maycomprise any combination of in-house or out-of-house accounts, onepossible reason for having relatively complex embodiments could be wherethe initial credit and cash balances are in-house balances, whereas oneor more of the sub balances are out-of-house balances.

Ini Ini Sub Sub Net Credit Cash Credit Cash Effect Trans Bal Bal Bal BalIni Date Description Amount Debit Debit Debit Debit Accts 01-02Restaurant 48.00 48.00 -0- 48.00 -0- -0- 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 -0- 21.00-0- 21.00 -0- 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 36.00 -0- 36.00 -0- -0- 01-06Supermkt 63.00 63.00 -0- 63.00 -0- -0- 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 -0- 15.00-0- 15.00 -0- 01-18 Applnce Str 750.00 750.00  -0- 750.00  -0- -0- 01-24Gasoline 18.00 -0- 18.00 -0- 18.00 -0- 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 33.00 -0-33.00 -0- -0- TOTAL 984.00 930.00  54.00 930.00  54.00 -0-Transaction Split Debiting or Transfer Debiting of Cash or CreditAccounts from at Least One First Cash or Credit Account to at Least OneSecond Cash or Credit Account

Another type of method, system or apparatus of the present invention iswhere all transaction amounts debit an initial or first at least oneavailable cash or credit account, and then such transaction amount debitis transferred in part or in total to at least one second cash or debitaccount, wherein (depending on parameters per the transaction processorset by the account holder or the end user), at least one of thefollowing occurs:

a total transaction amount is split between (a) a first partial debit ofthe total transaction amount of a first available cash or credit balancein the at least one first account, and (b) a second partial debit of thetotal transaction amount of at least one second available cash or creditbalance from at least one second account; and/or,a total transaction amount automatically is transferred in total from(a) a first debit of the total transaction amount of a first cash orcredit balance in the at least one first account, to (b) a second debitof the total transaction amount of at least one second cash or creditbalance from at least one second account.

While the at least one transaction debits a first available cash orcredit balance in a first account, then moving, or transferring, a partor the total of the transaction amount from the first account to a debitof a second account.

The following is an overview of the various non-limiting debit cardembodiments of the present invention:

-   -   Standard Debit Card, where transactions are automatically and        individually paid in-turn, with additional readjustment        capability to create credit-default risk;    -   Faux Debit Card, where transactions are automatically and        individually paid in-turn, and where the embodiment comprises no        inherent credit-default risk;    -   Faux Debit Card, where transactions are automatically and        individually paid in-turn, and where the embodiments comprise        capabilities to create credit-default risk;    -   Faux Debit Card, where plural transactions are automatically        paid together at a given time interval, and where the        embodiments comprise no inherent credit-default risk;    -   Faux Debit Card, where plural transactions are automatically        paid together at a given time interval, and where the        embodiments comprise capabilities to create credit-default risk.    -   Hybrid Faux Debit Card, where transactions are automatically and        individually paid in-turn, are then automatically and        individually readjusted (unpaid) in-turn, whereby the plural        transactions are automatically paid together at a given time        interval, and where the embodiments comprise no inherent        credit-default risk; and,    -   Hybrid Faux Debit Card, where transactions are automatically and        individually paid in-turn, are then automatically and        individually readjusted (unpaid) in-turn, whereby the plural        transactions are automatically paid together at a given time        interval, and where the embodiments comprise capabilities to        create credit-default risk.

In one non limiting example, the debit of the total transaction amountfrom a first account as a credit account is transferred to a secondaccount as a cash account, whereby the credit activity of the creditaccount is maintained to improve the account holder's credit rating,which is further enhanced by making sure that the credit account balanceor credit sub-account balance is paid off within the current creditaccount period to that no additional interest is incurred.

In crebit credit balance-based embodiments, there are basically twodistinct types of credit transactions:

-   -   Credit transactions that are carried forward and will be        manually paid later by the end user; and,    -   Credit transactions that are automatically paid, or will be        automatically paid.

With regard to bookkeeping, or organizing the automatically-paid andmanually-paid credit transaction items, possibilities comprise thefollowing:

-   -   Manually-paid and automatically-paid items both remain together        on the initial single credit balance;    -   Manually-paid and automatically-paid items are moved from the        initial single credit balance to at least one additional credit        balance, but remain together;    -   Manually-paid items remain on the initial single credit balance        and automatically-paid items are moved off of the initial single        credit balance to at least one additional credit balance, or        vice-versa;    -   Manually-paid and automatically-paid items are both moved from        the initial single credit balance to separate credit balances,        where a separate credit balance comprises at least one credit        balance;    -   Manually-paid and automatically-paid items are each moved to        their own initial single credit balance after using payment        parameters to determine manually-paid vs. automatically-paid        items.

Furthermore, a given, single automatically-paid item may comprise one,or more than one, payment source, where the possibilities comprise thefollowing:

-   -   Where one or more than one credit transaction being        automatically paid using one payment source stays on an initial        single credit balance;    -   Where one or more than one credit transaction being        automatically paid using one payment source moves from an        initial single credit balance to at least one other credit        balance;    -   Where one or more than one credit transaction being        automatically paid using more than one payment source stays on        an initial single credit balance, whereby the payment sources        are in series with each other acting in an overdraft capacity,        and/or are parallel with each other, whereby more than one        source is being used simultaneously to automatically pay a        transaction;    -   Where one or more than one credit transaction being        automatically paid using more than one payment source moves from        an initial single credit balance to at least one other credit        balance, whereby the payment sources are in series with each        other acting in an overdraft capacity, and/or are parallel with        each other, whereby more than one source is being used        simultaneously to automatically pay a transaction.

While a given crebit embodiment may comprise a singular debit card/fauxdebit card embodiment, it is possible for a given crebit embodiment tocomprise a plurality of debit card/faux debit card embodiments, whereby:

-   -   A given crebit embodiment comprises a plurality comprising more        than one like-embodiment debit card/faux debit card, where,        using any payment parameter that enables payment        differentiation, such as an Amount Threshold, or using any        payment condition that enables payment differentiation, such as        an overdraft condition, certain transactions are paid using a        first like-embodiment debit card, whereby other transactions are        paid using at least a second like-embodiment debit card, where        each like-embodiment debit card comprises at least one available        credit balance whereby any of the at least one available credit        balance may be shared or unshared among the plurality, and where        each like-embodiment debit card comprises at least one payment        source whereby any of the at least one payment source may be        shared or unshared among the plurality.    -   A given crebit embodiment comprises a plurality comprising more        than one different-embodiment debit card/faux debit card, where,        using any payment parameter that enables payment        differentiation, such as an Amount Threshold, or using any        payment condition that enables payment differentiation, such as        an overdraft condition, certain transactions are paid using a        first different-embodiment debit card, such as a transactions        paid in-turn debit card embodiment, whereby other transactions        are paid using at least a second different-embodiment debit        card, such as a transactions paid-together debit card        embodiment, where each different-embodiment debit card comprises        at least one available credit balance whereby any of the at        least one available credit balance may be shared or unshared        among the plurality, and where each different-embodiment debit        card comprises at least one payment source whereby any of the at        least one payment source may be shared or unshared among the        plurality.    -   A given crebit embodiment comprises a plurality comprising at        least three debit card/faux debit card embodiments comprising        any combination of like-embodiment or different-embodiment debit        card/faux debit card embodiments, where each debit card        embodiment comprises at least one available credit balance        whereby any of the at least one available credit balance may be        shared or unshared among the plurality, and where each debit        card embodiment comprises at least one payment source whereby        any of the at least one payment source may be shared or unshared        among the plurality.

Available credit balances that are shared or unshared present someversatile embodiment options, where myriad available credit balancepermutations are possible. For example, a plurality of debit card/fauxdebit card payment source embodiments may share a single availablecredit balance, which may comprise the initial available credit balance,or a separate available credit balance. In a single debit cardembodiment, the one debit card available credit balance may comprise theinitial available credit balance, or its own separate available balance.In a two-debit card embodiment, one debit card available credit balancemay comprise the initial available credit balance, while the remainingdebit card embodiment comprises a separate available balance; or, eachof the debit cards may comprise its own available credit balance,separate from the initial available balance, which results in a total ofthree available credit balances. More than two debit card crebitembodiments scale up the number of permutations accordingly.Furthermore, it is possible for a plurality of available credit balancesto comprise more than one credit reporting item, especially in relationto embodiments prone to credit-default risk from more than one creditbalance.

More than one like-kind debit card/faux debit card embodiment may beused in a single crebit embodiment, where, using any payment parameterthat permits payment differentiation, such as amount threshold, certaintransactions are paid using a first like-embodiment debit card, whereother transactions are paid using at least a second like-embodimentdebit card, where first and at least a second debit card/faux debit cardcomprise the same credit balance, or separate credit balances, and whereeach one comprises at least one payment source, where any of the atleast one payment source may be shared or unshared. Also more than onedifferent-kind debit card/faux debit card embodiment may be used in asingle crebit embodiment, where, using any payment parameter thatpermits payment differentiation, such as amount threshold, certaintransactions are paid using a paid in-turn debit card embodiment, whereother transactions are paid using a paid together debit card embodiment.Where first and at least a second debit card/faux debit card comprisethe same credit balance, or separate credit balances, where each onecomprises at least one payment source, and where any of the at least onepayment source may be shared or unshared.

Timeframe is another aspect of the invention that includes where thedebit to the second account is made within an a selected, automated orpre-determined timeframe that is beneficial to either the end user or tothe institution holding the first and/or second accounts. While one mayassume that, per the transaction processor making the transfer, that thedesired transfer itself occurs immediately upon or after the debit tothe initial at least one available balance occurs, such may or may notnecessarily be the case. The entity that offers the globalaccount/transaction processor to the end user may choose any timeframefor when such transfers occur, such as immediately upon or after thedebit to the initial at least one available balance occurs; or, 1-60seconds, 1-60 minutes, 1-24 hours, 1-31 days, etc. (or any range orvalue therein), after the debit to the initial at least one availablebalance occurs. While such a cornerstone decision regarding timeframe ismost likely best left to the entity that offers the globalaccount/transaction processor to the end user, it is not impossible forthe end user to have some, or much, say with regard to such timeframeparameters.

In the following example, all transactions debit an initial at least oneavailable credit balance. However, in this case, the transactionprocessor has a threshold parameter where the end user wants alltransaction amounts up to $25 to debit his available cash balance, andall transaction amounts above $25 to debit the available credit balance.Therefore, while all amounts initially debit the available creditbalance, for transaction amounts up to $25, the amount, within anyspecified timeframe, will be debited from the available cash balance,and credited to the available credit balance, resulting in a zero netbalance to the initial credit balance for those transaction amounts of$25 and below. Due to concepts discussed earlier, such as Rescue andReject and Best Fit, should there not be an adequate available cashbalance to enable the transfer from the initial at least one availablecredit balance debit to a debit to the available cash balance for thosetransaction amounts of $25 and below, the capability exists for thosetransaction amounts to remain as a debit to the initial at least oneavailable credit balance.

Amt Initial Debited Credit From Transaction Bal Cash Net Effect DateDescription Amount Debit Bal Initial Credit 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.00-0- 48.00 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 21.00 -0- 01-05 Shoe Store 36.0036.00 -0- 36.00 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 63.00 -0- 63.00 01-14 Gasoline15.00 15.00 15.00 -0- 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 750.00 -0- 750.00 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 18.00 18.00 -0- 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 33.00 -0-33.00 TOTAL 984.00 984.00 54.00 930.00 

What is interesting is that by setting the transaction processor so thatall transaction amounts which debit the initial at least one availablecredit balance are automatically zeroed out (within any specifiedtimeframe, e.g., 1-60 seconds, 1-60 minutes, 1-24 hours, 1-31 days, 1-52weeks, 1-48 months, monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, semiannually,annually, etc., or any range or value therein) by an available cashbalance, the global account behaves similarly to a standard debit cardaccount, but with the additional benefit of employing an availablecredit balance.

In the example that follows, again, all transactions debit an initial atleast one available credit balance. However, in this case, thetransaction processor has a threshold parameter where the end userdesires that amounts up to and including the first $20 of alltransaction amounts will debit his available cash balance, and that allremainder amounts above $20 will debit the available credit balance.Therefore, while all amounts initially debit the available creditbalance, amounts up to and including the first $20 of each transaction,within any specified timeframe, will be debited from the available cashbalance, and credited to the available credit balance, resulting in azero net balance to the initial credit balance for those transactionamounts of $25 and below.

Amt Initial Debited Credit From Transaction Bal Cash Net Effect DateDescription Amount Debit Bal Initial Credit 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 15.0015.00 -0- 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 750.00 20.00 730.00 01-24Gasoline 18.00 18.00 18.00 -0- 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 33.00 20.00  13.00TOTAL 984.00 984.00 153.00 831.00

While it is perceived as preferable that having an initial singularavailable balance from which all transactions are debited be a creditbalance as opposed to a cash balance, it is possible to have the initialsingular available balance be a cash balance. In the following example,all transactions are debited from an initial singular available cashbalance. In this case, the end user wants all transaction amounts above$50 to debit the available credit balance and credit the available cashbalance, while transactions up to and including $50 remain as a debit tothe available cash balance.

Amt Initial Debited Cash From Transaction Bal Credit Net Effect DateDescription Amount Debit Bal Initial Cash 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.00-0- 48.00 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 -0- 21.00 01-05 Shoe Store 36.0036.00 -0- 36.00 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 63.00  63.00 -0- 01-14 Gasoline15.00 15.00 -0- 15.00 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 750.00 750.00 -0-01-24 Gasoline 18.00 18.00 -0- 18.00 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 33.00 -0-33.00 TOTAL 984.00 984.00 813.00 171.00 

A subtle variation is where all transactions debit an initial singularavailable balance (whether credit or cash balance), but then a giventransaction amount, in its entirety, is automatically transfer or movedfrom the initial singular available balance to at least one differentavailable balance, where the net effect on the initial credit balancealways zeroes out. As discussed earlier, in the case where the initialsingular available balance is a credit balance, the given transactionamounts that the transaction processor assigns to debit the availablecash balance(s) are used in order to credit (and zero out) the initialcredit balance. The variation is illustrated with an example comprisingat least one additional or sub available credit account balance. In thisexample, transaction amounts up to and including $25 have the availablecash balance crediting the debit to the initial singular availablecredit balance that was created by the transaction, which results in adebit to the available cash balance; whereas transaction amounts above$25 have the sub available credit balance crediting the debit to theinitial singular available credit balance created by the transaction,which results in a debit to the sub available credit balance. This givesrise to where one available credit balance (the initial singularavailable credit balance) is zeroed out (credited) by debiting adifferent available credit balance (the sub available credit accountbalance). As mentioned before, any desired timeframe for this transfer,or zeroing out is possible. It is this debit to the sub available creditaccount balance that the end user ultimately pays.

Ini Amt Sub Net Credit Debited Credit Effect Trans Bal Frm Cash Bal IniDate Description Amount Debit Bal debit Credit 01-02 Restaurant 48.0048.00 -0- 48.00 -0- 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 21.00 -0- -0- 01-05 ShoeStore 36.00 36.00 -0- 36.00 -0- 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 63.00 -0- 63.00-0- 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 15.00 15.00 -0- -0- 01-18 Appliance 750.00750.00 -0- 750.00  -0- Store 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 18.00 18.00 -0- -0-01-30 Restaurant 33.00 33.00 -0- 33.00 -0- TOTAL 984.00 984.00 54.00930.00  -0-

The following example illustrates a more complex embodiment where atransaction amount, instead of debiting an initial singular availablebalance whereby a given transaction amount may or may not be transferredto at least one different available balance, debits instead an initialplurality of available balances, whereby any or all of the initialplurality of available balances may or may not be transferred to atleast one different available balance. Here, transaction amounts above$25 debit the initial credit balance, while transaction amounts up toand including $25 debit the initial cash balance. Within any specifiedtimeframe, the net effect on the initial credit and initial cashbalances is where they are zeroed out by their respective sub credit andsub cash accounts. There can be any reason for desiring such levels ofcomplexity. Being that available balances comprising the global account,whether available cash balances or available credit balances, maycomprise any combination of in-house or out-of-house accounts, onepossible reason for having relatively complex embodiments could be wherethe initial credit and cash balances are in-house balances, whereas oneor more of the sub balances are out-of-house balances.

Ini Ini Sub Sub Net Credit Cash Credit Cash Effect Trans Bal Bal Bal BalIni Acct Date Description Amount Debit Debit Debit Debit Bal 01-02Restaurant 48.00 48.00 -0- 48.00 -0- -0- 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 -0- 21.00-0- 21.00 -0- 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 36.00 -0- 36.00 -0- -0- 01-06Supermkt 63.00 63.00 -0- 63.00 -0- -0- 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 -0- 15.00-0- 15.00 -0- 01-18 Applnce Str 750.00 750.00  -0- 750.00  -0- -0- 01-24Gasoline 18.00 -0- 18.00 -0- 18.00 -0- 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 33.00 -0-33.00 -0- -0- TOTAL 984.00 930.00  54.00 930.00  54.00 -0-

Standard Debit Card

Transactions Automatically and Individually Paid in-Turn

A typical standard debit card comprises where each authorizedtransaction is automatically and individually paid in-turn using actualend-user funds, where a typical, standard debit card functions bydebiting a cash balance for each transaction amount, as seen in thefollowing example:

Transaction Cash Date Description Amount Balance Debit 01-02 Restaurant48.00 48.00 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 36.0001-06 Supermarket 63.00 63.00 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 15.00 01-18 ApplianceStore 750.00 750.00 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 18.00 01-30 Restaurant 33.0033.00 TOTAL 984.00 984.00

Here, once a given transaction debits an available cash balance, thetransaction is PAID.

Standard Debit Card

Transactions Automatically and Individually Paid in-Turn with AdditionalReadjustment Capability

To Create Credit-Default Risk

As disclosed in the earlier readjustment section comprising transactionspecific readjustments and amount specific readjustments, anytransaction or transaction amount that debits an account balance can beautomatically or manually readjusted, so when a transaction has beenpaid by debiting a cash balance (such as an automatic debit/payment witha standard debit card), by readjusting the transaction to an availablecredit balance, it becomes unpaid, all without ever involving themerchant, or most if not all transaction processing intermediaries. Infact, in a standard debit card embodiment, where all the transactionitems have already been automatically paid for by the actual end user,by enabling the addition and usage of at least one available creditbalance, the readjustment mechanism can un pay all or some of thetransactions, whereby the transactions are moved over to the at leastone available credit balance(s) for repayment at a future date. Asdisclosed in the earlier readjustment section, this enables the end userto free up cash for different purposes, such as an ATM or checkwithdrawal or to automatically (or even manually) address an overdraftcondition to prevent an ATM withdrawal from rejecting, or a check frombouncing. In addition to new debit card embodiments, it is important tounderstand that any preexisting standard, separate or free-standingdebit card account or embodiment can be subsequently modified andenhanced with the addition and enabling of at least one available creditbalance that will enable such readjustments comprising transactionspecific readjustments and amount specific readjustments. A transactionthat was paid using an available cash balance, and then was subsequentlyreadjusted, may be seen as being already paid/then unpaid-but will berepaid later, AKA paid/unpaid-will be repaid, which results in thecrediting of at least one available cash balance (which may comprise theinitial cash balance, and/or even at least one other available cashbalance), and a debiting of at least one available credit balance that,like a credit card transaction, is repaid at a future time.

The following example shows a standard debit card embodiment modifiedand enhanced with the addition and enabling of at least one availablecredit balance that will enable readjustments to occur.

Credit Cash Balance Transaction Bal Readjustment To Be Date DescriptionAmount Paid Amt Unpaid Repaid 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.00 -0- -0- 01-03Gasoline 21.00 21.00 -0- -0- 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 36.00 -0- -0- 01-06Supermarket 63.00 63.00  63.00  63.00 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 15.00  15.00 78.00 01-18 Appliance 750.00 750.00 750.00 828.00 Store TRANSACTIONSFROM 01-06, 01-14, AND 01-18 ARE READJUSTED (UNPAID), THUS CREDITINGCASH BALANCE(S) FOR $828.00 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 18.00 -0- -0- 01-30Restaurant 33.00 33.00 -0- -0- TOTAL 984.00 984.00 828.00 828.00

The transactions of January 6, January 14, and January 18 arereadjusted, resulting in a readjusted amount of $828.00 that is creditedto an available cash balance (which may comprise the initial cashbalance used to originally pay for the transactions, and/or even atleast one other available cash balance). As a result of thereadjustment, an available credit balance is debited for the $828.00amount that is expected by the account issuer to be repaid at a futuredate. In fact, it is possible to advertise to the end user that such alarge cash balance is available for reuse via a readjustment comprisinga transaction specific readjustment and/or an amount specificreadjustment. Furthermore, it is possible to turn on and off areadjustment function that automatically readjusts (unpays) anytransaction amounts by repaying (crediting) the cash balance, or anothercash balance comprising the debit card, and debiting at least oneavailable credit balance that is repaid later. This readjustmentmechanism is useful for automatically un-paying transactions to cover anoverdraft; however, it is also extremely useful for un-payingpotentially suspicious transactions, such as out-of-state or foreigntransactions when coupled with capabilities comprising specialidentifier information such as merchant identifier information, locationof transaction origination, etc., which will be explained later.

It is questionable why any account issuer would allow a givenalready-paid, no-credit default risk transaction to become unpaid. Afterall, an end user could take all the transactions that were paid bydebiting the available cash balance; unpay all of them with areadjustment that results in crediting the available cash balancethereby debiting an available credit balance; withdraw all of the cashin the available cash balance; and, fail to repay the available creditbalance, thereby defaulting entirely, and leaving the accountissuer/provider with a non-payment mess. While thismodification/enhancement that creates credit default risk certainlyrenders the new embodiment of debit card unsatisfactory for the purposeof protecting account issuers/providers from end-user default, which iscontrary to an intended purpose of a standard debit card, this foolhardycreation of credit default risk will surely be reflected in afee/revenue enhancement to the account issuers/providers that iscommensurate with the created risk. Ironically, themodification/enhancement to the trustworthy standard debit card thatenables credit default could result in a black mark, or a negativereporting item, on a credit report, something that the standard debitcard could/would never do.

Faux Debit Card

Transactions Automatically and Individually Paid in-Turn No InherentCredit-Default Risk Embodiment

Unlike a real debit card that uses only an available cash balance, anembodiment of a faux debit card may be realized using a singularavailable credit balance and a singular available cash balance, althoughmore than one available cash balance can also be employed. Here, alltransactions debit the available credit balance first, whereby, at anytime interval later (two seconds, two minutes, two hours, two weeks,etc., regardless of whether the time interval is chosen by the accountissuer, or by the end user), the debit to the available credit balancefor the amount of the transaction(s) is credited by a debit to theavailable cash balance, thereby zeroing out the available credit balancefor the amount of the transaction(s). It is important to note per thisembodiment that the transactions are individually paid in-turn, and arenot all gathered/lumped together and paid at one time. An additionaloptional (but prudent) step is where, at the time a given transactionhas been authorized, and/or at the time a given transaction debits theinitial available credit balance, an amount portion of the availablecash balance comprising the faux debit card is frozen for at least theamount of the transaction, so if the transfer that results in debitingthe available cash balance and crediting the initial available creditbalance is set to occur, say, two hours from the initial transactionbeing authorized and/or the transaction being debited from the initialavailable credit balance, then freezing the available cash balance forat least the amount of the transaction will assure that no interimdebiting (say, within that two-hour window) of the available cashbalance comprising the faux debit card will disrupt the initial creditbalance from being properly credited by the available cash balance. Ofcourse, instantaneous or near instantaneous crediting of the initialcredit balance by at least one available cash balance could preclude theinterim need to freeze a transaction amount comprising the at least oneavailable cash balance. Per the example below, transactions first debitthe initial available credit balance, then money, upon at least onespecified time interval, is automatically transferred or debited fromthe available cash balance to credit, or zero out the transaction amountthat debited the initial available credit balance (which is seen in thelast column on the right of the example). The net effect has thetransaction amount debiting the available cash balance, but by way ofthe initial available credit balance. This is very different than astandard debit card, being that an intended purpose of a standard debitcard is to enable purchase transactions without ever employing anavailable credit balance. The following example is basically a noinherent credit-default risk embodiment of a faux debit card.

Amt Initial Debited Credit From Transaction Bal Cash Net Effect DateDescription Amount Debit Bal Initial Credit 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.0048.00 -0- 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 21.00 -0- 01-05 Shoe Store 36.0036.00 36.00 -0- 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 63.00 63.00 -0- 01-14 Gasoline15.00 15.00 15.00 -0- 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 750.00 750.00 -0-01-24 Gasoline 18.00 18.00 18.00 -0- 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 33.00 33.00-0- TOTAL 984.00 984.00 984.00 -0-

The available cash balance(s) basically exists to serve the availablecredit balance. Per this particular embodiment, being that there are noadditional balances besides the two, it is reasonable to assume, shouldthe cash balance run out, that any subsequent transactions per thisparticular embodiment would reject due to a zero cash balance. Alsokindly note that the crediting of the initial credit balance takes placeat an interval relevant to the time of a given transaction, where agiven transaction is paid relatively quickly, which differs from atypical credit card embodiment, where payment by or on behalf of the enduser generally occurs sometime after the close of a billing cycle. It isimportant to note in this particular above example, with its basicunwillingness to post transactions on the credit balance capacity beyondthe amount of the available cash balance, the net effect on the initialcredit balance is zero.

Finally, it is extremely important to understand that any such variantof a no inherent credit-default risk faux debit card, such as the oneabove, where, due to any varied number of safeguards, credit defaultrisk is neutralized or eliminated, basically results in preventing ablack mark, or negative reporting item corresponding to the account fromever appearing on a credit report.

Faux Debit Card

Transactions Automatically and Individually Paid In-Turn withCapabilities to Create Credit-Default Risk

Nonetheless, it is possible, in alternate embodiments of the faux debitcard, for subsequent transaction amounts exceeding the available cashbalances to not reject if there is either: 1) an initial availablecredit balance limit that exceeds the amount of the available cashbalance, so when the cash balance runs out, the transactions remain onthe initial credit balance for payment at a later time, such as afterthe close of the billing cycle; or, 2) a line of credit attached to theavailable cash balance; or, 3) a combination of the two.

Despite the considerable capability of the transaction processor, itshould be made clear that a faux debit card, in and of itself, can be astand-alone product offered to end users, or as a singular aspect of amuch more comprehensive and versatile product that makes use of one, ornumerous, available account balances in addition to the balancescomprising the faux debit card. Also, while a faux debit card functionswell comprising a single available credit balance and a singularavailable cash balance, it is disclosed, and should be understood that,technically, any number of available credit and/or cash balances may beemployed, for whatever reason(s). Even over-the-top embodimentscomprising, say, seven available credit balances, and fourteen availablecash balances may be used, even if some of the fourteen available cashbalances credit the available credit balance(s) at different times (oneat two seconds, another at two minutes, another at two days, etc. afterthe transaction debits the available credit balance). Per earlierdisclosure, it should be remembered that, as it's own freestanding fauxdebit card product, or as an aspect of a more comprehensive globalaccount embodiment, the varied balances comprising the faux debit card,like a global account in general, could comprise any combination ofin-house and out-of-house available balances.

Expanding on the previous example, in the following example, availablecredit balance #1 and the cash balance are linked to act as a faux debitcard, where upon the realizing the depleted available cash balance afterthe January 14 transaction, the subsequent transactions remain onavailable credit balance #1, and are carried as open items without acash balance offset, to either be repaid, or defaulted on.

Credit Trans Bal #1 Amt Debited Net Effect Date Description Amount DebitFrm Cash Bal Credit #1 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.00 48.00 -0- 01-03Gasoline 21.00 21.00 21.00 -0- 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 36.00 36.00 -0-01-06 Supermarket 63.00 63.00 63.00 -0- 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 15.00 15.00-0- AVAILABLE CASH BALANCE DEPLETED - SUBSEQUENT TRANSACTIONS WILL DEBITAVAILABLE CREDIT BALANCE #1. 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 750.00 -0-750.00 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 18.00 -0-  18.00 01-30 Restaurant 33.0033.00 -0-  33.00 TOTAL 984.00 984.00 183.00  801.00

Per the above example, it should be understood that upon the depletionof the available cash balance, any new transactions could debit at leastone other available credit balance besides available credit balance #1.Also, depletion of the available cash balance, whereby credit balancetransactions can post without a cash balance offset, can be hastened bymaking withdrawals from the available cash balance(s) used to offset thecredit balance.

As seen earlier as a modification/enhancement to a typical, standarddebit card, readjustments can also be used to create credit-default riskin a faux debit card embodiment. The next example shows atransaction-specific readjustment of two transactions from the fauxdebit card comprising available credit balance #1 and an available cashbalance; however, for the sake of illustrative example, thepost-readjustment transaction will be moved over to available creditbalance #2 for repayment (or default) at a later time. Kindly rememberthat readjustments comprising transaction specific readjustments andamount specific readjustments may be desired for purposes such as if theend user wants to unpay, or reclaim cash spent on a prior transaction bycrediting an available cash balance with a debit to at least oneavailable credit balance (that will be repaid) to use for other purposes(even if the cash is automatically reclaimed to prevent an overdraftcondition, such as where an automatic transaction specific readjustmentor amount specific readjustment can raise enough cash to prevent anincoming check from bouncing). Per this readjustment example, thealready-paid January 6 Supermarket bill, the January 14 Gasoline bill,and the January 18 Appliance Store bill are unpaid and moved from thefaux debit card to available credit balance #2, where the readjustmentbasically results in available credit balance #1 and the available cashbalance being credited back to their pre-transaction conditions(resulting in a higher available cash balance), with available creditbalance #2 being debited for the transaction amounts, where creditbalance #2 will be repaid at a future time.

Credit Cash Credit Bal Bal Readjust Bal #2 Trans #1 Debit/ Amt To BeDate Description Amount Debit Pd Unpaid Repaid 01-02 Restaurant 48.0048.00 48.00 -0- -0- 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 21.00 -0- -0- 01-05 ShoeStore 36.00 36.00 36.00 -0- -0- 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 63.00 63.0063.00  63.00 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 15.00 15.00 78.00  78.00 01-18Appliance 750.00 750.00 750.00 828.00  828.00 Store TRANSACTIONS FROM01-06, 01-14, AND 01-18 ARE READJUSTED (UNPAID), THUS CREDITING CASHBALANCE FOR $828.00 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 18.00 18.00 -0- -0- 01-30Restaurant 33.00 33.00 33.00 -0- -0- TOTAL 984.00 984.00 984.00 828.00828.00

Please note that due to the paid/unpaid-will repay readjustment and thecorresponding credit default risk that is created as a result, anysubsequent default on the credit balance could result in a black mark,or a negative reporting item, on a credit report.

Also note that readjustment debited available credit balance #2, thereadjustment could have just as easily debited available credit balance#1, to the total exclusion, or even non-existence, of any additionalcredit balances such as available credit balance #2, and/or even atleast one other additional available credit balance other than creditbalances #1 and #2. Also, while the same (initial) cash balance that wasused to pay for the transactions was credited by the readjustmentamounts, it is possible for such readjustment amounts to credit at leastone cash balance comprising the initial cash balance, and/or at leastone other available cash balance.

Furthermore, it is possible to interrupt (turn off, and then turn backon) the automated payment function that facilitates the crediting of theavailable credit balance(s) with the debiting of the available cashbalance(s), resulting in open items, whereby the open items remain onthe initial available credit balance and/or are transferred to at leastone other available credit balance. An example of a toggle that permitssuch interruption is as follows:

_X_ (Box Checked)—by Checking the Box on the Left, You Request that weAutomatically Pay Your Credit Items in Turn Using Your Available CashBalance(s). By Un-Checking the Box, You Assume Responsibility for PayingYour Credit Items.

A given transactions paid in-turn faux debit card embodiment looking tocreate credit default risk may comprise any one, a few, or all of thefollowing:

-   -   Depletion of any cash balance funds used as an offset to credit        the available credit balance for transaction amounts, whereby        the resulting open credit items are carried forward and        defaulted on.    -   Withdrawal of any cash balance funds used as an offset to credit        the available credit balance for transaction amounts, whereby        the resulting open credit items are carried forward and        defaulted on.    -   Readjustment of any of the transactions that were paid in-turn,        whereby the resulting open credit items are carried forward and        defaulted on.    -   Interim interruption of the automated payment function that        facilitates the crediting of the available credit balance(s)        with the debiting of the available cash balance(s), whereby the        resulting open credit items are carried forward and defaulted        on.

Faux Debit Card Plural Transactions Automatically Paid Together at aGiven Time Interval No Inherent Credit-Default Risk Embodiments

Another embodiment of the faux debit card involves where a plurality oftransactions are cumulatively and automatically paid together at a giventime interval, such as at or after the close of a billing cycle, usingactual end-user funds that are cumulatively frozen, earmarked orotherwise allocated in concert with the plurality of postedtransactions. While the term plural is used, it is of course possiblethat if only one transaction is posted prior to the given time interval,then only that one transaction would be paid upon that given timeinterval.

Such an embodiment entails the freezing, or reserving of at least oneavailable cash balance for the incoming transaction amounts that debitthe initial available credit balance, then at the close, or sometimeafter the close of the billing cycle (even as late as the last minute ofthe payment due date that is well after the actual close of the billingcycle, after which the payment would be past-due), the frozen at leastone available cash balance is debited, and the initial credit balance iscredited. Using a relatively long timeframe, such as at or near the endof a billing cycle, may be seen in the following example of a faux debitcard. Here, the incoming transactions debit an initial available creditbalance, and are credited or paid all at once by the (frozen) availablecash balance after the close of the billing cycle on February 1. In theinterim, the amounts of the transactions cumulatively debit the initialavailable credit balance and also cumulatively freeze or restrict theavailable cash balance for the cumulative amount totals of thetransactions.

Initial Credit Cash Bal Net Effect Transaction Bal Amt Initial DateDescription Amount Debit Frozen Credit 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.0048.00 48.00 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 69.00 69.00 69.00 01-05 Shoe Store36.00 105.00 105.00 105.00 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 168.00 168.00 168.0001-14 Gasoline 15.00 183.00 183.00 183.00 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00933.00 933.00 933.00 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 951.00 951.00 951.00 01-30Restaurant 33.00 984.00 984.00 984.00 02-01 CUMULATIVE FROZEN CASHBALANCE IS AUTOMATICALLY DEBITED (ZEROED OUT) IN ORDER TO CREDIT INITIALAVAILABLE CREDIT BALANCE- TOTAL 984.00 PAID -0- -0-

By cumulatively freezing the available cash balance for the amounts ofthe transactions, under normal circumstances (with exceptions to beexplained later), the frozen or reserved cash cannot be used by the enduser for other purposes such as check clearance, ATM withdrawals, etc.,thereby ensuring that there will be adequate funds in the available cashbalance to cover the initial available credit balance comprising thetransaction amounts. After the close of the billing cycle on (say, 12:01AM on February 1), the frozen cumulative available cash balance becomeszero, because the frozen cash amounts were moved over in order to creditthe transaction amount debits to the initial credit balance, thuszeroing out the initial credit balance, and basically rendering it PAID.Being that the cash balance(s) are very carefully frozen or reserved inaccordance with each transaction, and the automated payment of thecredit balance(s) that takes place at least once during the billingcycle is guaranteed, the above example is a no inherent credit-defaultrisk embodiment of a faux debit card. Be careful not to confuse thefrozen cumulative available cash balance with the available cashbalance. It is possible to zero-out the frozen available cash balanceamount while still maintaining a large available cash balance, wherebythe large available cash balance is a separate, unfrozen item entirely.Also, by freezing the available cash balance, the account issuer hasinterim use of the funds comprising the frozen cash balance. As a matterof fact, the frozen cash balance can either still be part of any of theend user's available cash balance(s), or the frozen cash balance can beheld on an interim basis in any one or more account balance(s) belongingto the account issuer. These frozen available cash balances are isadvantageous to the issuer, because the issuer can earn more on thefrozen available cash balances than it pays for carrying costs on fundsthat the issuer uses to pay the merchants. Nonetheless, it is possiblefor the end user to earn no, some, or much interest income on thesefrozen reserves. Being that the above example is a no inherentcredit-default risk embodiment of a faux debit card, credit default riskis neutralized or eliminated, thus basically preventing a black mark, ornegative reporting item corresponding to the account from ever appearingon a credit report.

An interesting variant on the above is the next example comprising a noinherent credit-default risk embodiment of a faux debit card where theend user can elect to pay at least one, or even all of the transactions,or transaction amounts, posted to the initial available credit balancebefore the close of the billing cycle, prior to the automatic paymentafter the end of the billing cycle.

Initial Credit Cash Net Effect Transaction Bal Bal Amt Initial DateDescription Amount Debit Frozen Credit 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.0048.00 48.00 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 69.00 69.00 69.00 01-05 Shoe Store36.00 105.00 105.00 105.00 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 168.00 168.00 168.0001-14 Gasoline 15.00 183.00 183.00 183.00 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00933.00 933.00 933.00 END USER MANUALLY PREPAYS 183.00 183.00 01-18TRANSACTION 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 201.00 201.00 201.00 01-30 Restaurant33.00 234.00 234.00 234.00 02-01 CUMULATIVE FROZEN CASH BALANCE ISAUTOMATICALLY DEBITED (ZEROED OUT) IN ORDER TO CREDIT INITIAL AVAILABLECREDIT BALANCE- TOTAL 234.00 PAID -0- -0-

On January 19, the end user decided to manually prepay the January 18Appliance Store purchase prior to the automatic payment at orimmediately after the close of the billing cycle. Such manual prepaymentmay be done any number of ways depending on the system used, butbasically comprises highlighting or otherwise identifying at least onegiven transaction, and performing a payment step for the transaction(s).In the example, while the money is debited from the allocated frozencash balance and credited to the January 18 transaction, it is entirelypossible for the end user to use any funds other than the allocatedfrozen cash balance to make the payment on the January 18 transaction.Additionally, it is entirely possible to front-run the billing cycleclose, randomly manually prepaying different transactions or transactionamounts throughout the billing cycle, so when the billing cycle doesclose, there are no outstanding transaction items to be automaticallypaid, as well as the probability that there is no remaining frozenbalance to pay them with, unless outside funds were additionally usedfor the prepayment.

To review, disclosed are two distinct no inherent credit-default riskembodiments of a faux debit card where a plurality of transactions arecumulatively and automatically paid together at a time interval, such asat or after the close of a billing cycle, using frozen end-user funds:

-   -   The standard embodiment; and,    -   The standard embodiment that allows, prior to the automatic        payment of the plurality of transactions, a manual prepayment of        at least one transaction, or at least one transaction amount,        using either the allocated frozen cash balance, or funds other        than the allocated frozen cash balance.

Faux Debit Card

Plural Transactions Automatically Paid Together at a Given Time Intervalwith Capabilities to Create Credit-Default Risk

An additional embodiment of the disclosed frozen cash balance faux debitcard involves tactics for creating credit default risk that individuallyare formidable, and in any combination are virtually mind-numbing. Agiven frozen-balance faux debit card embodiment looking to create creditdefault risk may comprise any one, a few, or all of the following:

-   -   Withdrawal of any frozen or earmarked funds yet to be paid        comprising the frozen cash balance(s) corresponding to the        unpaid transactions, resulting in a shortfall in the frozen        amount that is ultimately paid, where the resultant credit        balance due is defaulted on. This can comprise an        amount-specific funds withdrawal (withdraw $100); a        transaction-specific funds withdrawal, where at least one        specific unpaid transaction is highlighted, and the        frozen/earmarked funds directly corresponding to the at least        one specific unpaid transaction is withdrawn, whereby the at        least one specific unpaid transaction is carried forward as an        open item; or, where an amount is specified, and using FIFO,        LIFO, etc. the frozen/earmarked funds directly corresponding to        the at least one specific unpaid transaction is automatically        identified and withdrawn, whereby the at least one specific        unpaid transaction is carried forward as an open item (all of        these amount/transaction selection methods are analogous to        those described in the earlier section on readjustments, but        differ from the readjustment methods due to the fact that the        earlier disclosed readjustment deals with transactions that have        already been paid, and not the abovementioned unpaid        transactions that are earmarked to be paid later).    -   Interim interruption of the freezing or reserving of the cash        balance(s) used to pay the initial credit balance debits cause        by the incoming transactions, resulting in a shortfall in the        frozen amount payable, where the resultant credit balance due is        defaulted on. Such can be seen where the freezing is interrupted        on the 10^(th) day of a given month, and not resumed until the        15^(th) day of the same month, whereby all transactions in the        interim five days had no amount frozen or reserved, are carried        as open items, and are defaulted on.    -   Readjustment of any the transactions that were paid prior to the        close of the billing cycle, whereby the readjustment unpays the        paid transactions or transaction amounts, the credited cash is        withdrawn, and the unpaid transactions are carried forward as        open items and defaulted on.    -   Disruption of the automated payment function that debits the        frozen/reserved balance in order to credit the transaction        amounts comprising the credit balance, where the payment of the        credit balance is defaulted on. An example of a toggle that        permits such interruption is as follows:        ______ (Box Un-Checked) by Checking the Box on the Left, You        Request that we Automatically Debit Your Frozen Cash Balance to        Automatically Pay the Credit Balance of Your Faux Debit Card at        the End of the Billing Cycle. By Un-Checking the Box, You Assume        Responsibility for Paying the Credit Balance.    -   Readjustment after the automated payment function has taken        place, whereby the readjustment unpays the paid transactions or        transaction amounts, the credited cash is withdrawn, and the        unpaid transactions are carried forward as open items and        defaulted upon.

Such default elements can be seen in the following faux debit cardexample comprising an initial available credit balance, and a cumulativefrozen cash balance that ordinarily credits the initial available creditbalance at the end, or close, of the billing cycle.

Initial Credit Cash Net Effect Transaction Bal Bal Amt Initial DateDescription Amount Debit Frozen Credit 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.0048.00 48.00 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 69.00 69.00 69.00 FROZEN CASH BALANCE-0- AMOUNTS FOR 01-02 AND 01-03 TRANSACTIONS FOR $69.00 WITHDRAWN 01-05Shoe Store 36.00 105.00 36.00 105.00 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 168.0099.00 168.00 TRANSACTION OF 01-05 FOR 132.00 63.00 132.00 $36.00 PREPAIDPRIOR TO THE CLOSE OF THE BILLING CYCLE 01-13 FREEZING OF THE AVAILABLECASH BALANCE DISRUPTED 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 147.00 63.00 147.00READJUSTMENT OF $36.00 183.00 99.00 183.00 TRANSACTION PREPAID ON 01-07ORIG. POSTED ON 01-05 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 933.00 99.00 933.0001-19 FREEZING OF THE AVAILABLE CASH BALANCE RESUMED 01-24 Gasoline18.00 951.00 117.00 951.00 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 984.00 150.00 984.00AUTOMATED PAYMENT FUNCTION DISRUPTED BY END USER 01-31 FROZEN CASHBALANCE AMOUNT OF $150.00 IS WITHDRAWN TOTAL 984.00 984.00 -0- 984.00

This rather comprehensive example shows how the end user can severelymanipulate the transaction activity. On January 4, the frozen cashbalance transaction amounts for the February 3 transactions arewithdrawn, so right off the bat there is a shortfall in the frozen cashbalance. On January 7, the end user prepaid the January 5 transactionprior to the close of the billing cycle, but on January 17, readjustedthe paid January 5 transaction, thus rendering it unpaid, where theinitial credit balance was debited a second time for the transactionamount (with the first debiting being the original transaction postingon January 5), and the frozen cash balance was re-credited. On January13, the end user chose to disrupt the freezing of the available cashbalance resulting in where the January 14 purchase, not to mention thesizable January 18 purchase, were posted to the initial credit balancewithout an offset in the frozen cash balance, so the frozen cash balanceshortfall increased dramatically. On January 19, the end user resumedthe freezing of the available cash balance, thereby providing frozencash balance offsets to the January 24 and January 30 transactions.Finally, on January 31, prior to the close of the billing cycle, the enduser disrupted the automated payment function, and withdrew the frozencash balance of $150.00. Whether or not the end user ends up defaultingon the account balance payment is at this point anybody's guess. Kindlynote that even if the end user had not disrupted the automated paymentfunction, nor withdrew the frozen cash balance of $150.00, it wouldstill be possible for the end user to reclaim the $150.00 payment byperforming a readjustment after the automated payment function has takenplace.

For some end users, seeing, or even being notified by the accountissuer/provider, that there is a frozen balance that can be plundered,could prove too hard to resist. Nonetheless, any shortfall can berestored prior to the close of the billing cycle, or simply paid afterthe close of the billing cycle. Regardless, employing any one, some, orall of the mechanisms comprising 1) withdrawal of any frozen orearmarked funds, 2) interim interruption of the freezing or reserving ofcash balance(s), 3) readjustment of any the transactions that were paidprior to the close of the billing cycle, 4) disruption of the automatedpayment function, or 5) readjustment after the automated paymentfunction has taken place, assures that the potential for credit defaultis well entrenched, where imprudent individuals could certainly suffer ablack mark, or a negative reporting item, on a credit report.

Hybrid Faux Debit Card

Transactions Automatically and Individually Paid in-Turn ThenAutomatically and Individually Readjusted in-Turn with PluralTransactions Automatically Paid Together at a Given Time Interval

No Inherent Credit-Default Risk Embodiment —Or— With Capabilities toCreate Credit-Default Risk

This highly unique hybrid comprises where individual transactions on theinitial credit balance are automatically paid, then automatically unpaid(readjusted), then the plurality of transactions are cumulatively andautomatically paid together at a given later time interval. Thereadjusted credit balance can be the initial credit balance, or adifferent balance entirely. Although the other presently disclosed debitcard embodiments use a readjustment mechanism as one way of creatingcredit-default risk, this particular hybrid is the only version that hasan unpaid readjustment function as a core aspect of its operation.

Initial Cash Credit Bal Amt Readjusted Transaction Bal Paid/ Cash DateDescription Amount Debit Unpaid Balance 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.0048.00 48.00 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 21.00 69.00 01-05 Shoe Store36.00 36.00 36.00 105.00 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 63.00 63.00 168.0001-14 Gasoline 15.00 15.00 15.00 183.00 01-18 Appliance Str 750.00750.00 750.00 933.00 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 18.00 18.00 951.00 01-30Restaurant 33.00 33.00 33.00 984.00 02-01 CUMULATIVE FROZEN CASH BALANCEIS AUTOMATICALLY DEBITED (ZEROED OUT) IN ORDER TO CREDIT INITIALAVAILABLE CREDIT BALANCE- TOTAL 984.00 -0- -0- -0-

There are two distinct types of this hybrid version:

The no inherent credit-default risk embodiment where all cash balancesare frozen, and the end user is able to manually prepay transactionsprior to the automatic payment at or after the end of the billing cycle;and,

Embodiments that comprise capabilities to create considerablecredit-default risk, whereby all of the credit-default risks of both theindividual transactions paid in-turn embodiments and the pluraltransactions all paid together embodiments can all be realized throughtampering with varied balances, turning off varied automatic functions,non-payment of shortfalls or earmarked reserves, readjustments after theautomatic end-of billing cycle payment with subsequent default, etc.

With regard to the modified real debit card embodiment, and the variedfaux debit card embodiments, a matter worth considering concerns cashadvances, cash withdrawals (via an ATM, etc.), or any other ways the enduser pulls cash from the faux debit card embodiments. These may berealized using any method(s) that the account issuer deems. Such maycomprise: a direct debit to the available cash balance; a debit to theinitial credit balance, whereby any available cash balance subsequentlyrestores (credits) the debit to the initial credit balance, or where thedebit to the initial credit balance is carried as an open item to berepaid later; a freeze to the available cash balance, where the frozenavailable cash balance is subsequently debited later to credit eitherthe full amount of the cash withdrawal, or a partial amount of the cashwithdrawal. Any full or partial portion of a cash withdrawal may alsocarried as an open item to be repaid later, in a fashion that is eithersimilar to, or actually comprises, a cash advance.

With regard to readjustments, any of the disclosed debit cardembodiments, as well as any other embodiments that are able to use thereadjustment paid/unpay-will repay later mechanism, it is prudent to atleast have the option of turning on and off controls on any readjustmentfunctions, especially the automated readjustment functions that permitthe automatic covering of items like overdrafts. Such controls maycomprise manually locking and unlocking at least one given transactionto prevent or allow automated readjustments on the transaction(s), orautomated parameters, where perhaps transactions over or under aselected amount may or may not be readjusted, or where readjustments arenot allowed on transactions with a given merchant, etc., with thepossibility that such restrictions on a given transaction can beoverridden by performing a manual readjustment that is directlyperformed, requested, or overseen by the end user.

Another matter concerns the credit limit comprising one or more creditbalances. Being that myriad possibilities exist with regards toestablishing, setting, or revising credit limit(s) on one or more creditbalances, this disclosure places no specific guidance or limitations,whereby the issuer is wide open to use any metric(s) for establishing,setting, or revising credit limit(s) that the issuer pleases, regardlessof whether the credit limit(s) mirror or otherwise resemble the amountof the available unfrozen and/or frozen cash balance(s); whether creditlimit(s) track, somewhat exceed, greatly exceed, etc. any available cashbalance amounts; or, where credit limit(s) are totally or somewhatrelated, or totally or somewhat unrelated, to any available cash balanceamounts or available cash balance parameters.

The following is a summary of the various non-limiting debit cardembodiments of the present invention:

-   -   Standard Debit Card (prior art), where transactions are        automatically and individually paid in-turn;    -   Standard Debit Card, where transactions are automatically and        individually paid in-turn, with additional readjustment        capability to create credit-default risk;    -   Faux Debit Card, where transactions are automatically and        individually paid in-turn, and where the embodiment comprises no        inherent credit-default risk;    -   Faux Debit Card, where transactions are automatically and        individually paid in-turn, and where the embodiments comprise        capabilities to create credit-default risk;    -   Faux Debit Card, where plural transactions are automatically        paid together at a given time interval, and where the        embodiments comprise no inherent credit-default risk;    -   Faux Debit Card, where plural transactions are automatically        paid together at a given time interval, and where the        embodiments comprise capabilities to create credit-default risk.    -   Hybrid Faux Debit Card, where transactions are automatically and        individually paid in-turn, are then automatically and        individually readjusted (unpaid) in-turn, whereby the plural        transactions are automatically paid together at a given time        interval, and where the embodiments comprise no inherent        credit-default risk; and,    -   Hybrid Faux Debit Card, where transactions are automatically and        individually paid in-turn, are then automatically and        individually readjusted (unpaid) in-turn, whereby the plural        transactions are automatically paid together at a given time        interval, and where the embodiments comprise capabilities to        create credit-default risk.

In the upcoming disclosure, any of these numerous Debit Card/Faux DebitCard embodiments will be able to be incorporated interchangeably inadditional examples where a Debit Card/Faux Debit Card is used to maketransaction payments in embodiments comprising at least one creditbalance, where certain embodiments can also comprise at least oneavailable credit balance in addition to the at least one availablecredit balance comprising the faux debit card.

With all of the discussion regarding readjustments, an overview is inorder. As stated earlier, readjustments comprise transaction specificreadjustments and amount specific readjustments.Transaction specific readjustments comprise where at least one specifictransaction is readjusted, and may comprise the following:

Debiting (unpaying) at least one specific already-paid transactionthereby debiting a first credit balance for said transaction, and thencrediting at least one cash balance for the amount of said transaction,whereby any debit amount pertaining to said transaction is subsequentlyrepaid.

Debiting (unpaying) at least one specific already-paid transactionthereby debiting a first credit balance for said transaction, and thencrediting at least one second credit balance for the amount saidtransaction, whereby any debit amount pertaining to said transaction issubsequently repaid.

Debiting (unpaying) at least one specific already-paid transactionthereby debiting a first credit balance for said transaction, and thencrediting at least one cash balance and at least one second creditbalance for the amount of said transaction, whereby any debit amountpertaining to said transaction is subsequently repaid.

Crediting (paying) at least one specific transaction thereby crediting afirst credit balance for said transaction, and then debiting at leastone cash balance for the amount of said transaction.

Crediting (paying) at least one specific transaction thereby crediting afirst credit balance for said transaction, and then debiting at leastone second credit balance for the amount of said transaction, wherebyany debit amount to said second credit balance pertaining to saidtransaction is subsequently repaid.

Crediting (paying) at least one specific transaction thereby crediting afirst credit balance for said transaction, and then debiting at leastone cash balance and at least one second credit balance for the amountof said transaction, whereby any debit to said second credit balancepertaining to said transaction is subsequently repaid.

Amount specific readjustments comprise where at least one transactionamount is readjusted, and may comprise the following:

Debiting (unpaying) at least one already-paid transaction amount therebydebiting a first credit balance for said transaction amount, and thencrediting at least one cash balance for said transaction amount, wherebyany debit amount pertaining to said transaction amount is subsequentlyrepaid.

Debiting (unpaying) at least one already-paid transaction amount therebydebiting a first credit balance for said transaction amount, and thencrediting at least one second credit balance for said transactionamount, whereby any debit amount pertaining to said transaction amountis subsequently repaid.

Debiting (unpaying) at least one already-paid transaction amount therebydebiting a first credit balance for said transaction amount, and thencrediting at least one cash balance and at least one second creditbalance for said transaction amount, whereby any debit amount pertainingto said transaction amount is subsequently repaid.

Crediting (paying) at least one transaction amount thereby crediting afirst credit balance for said transaction amount, and then debiting atleast one cash balance for said transaction amount.

Crediting (paying) at least one transaction amount thereby crediting afirst credit balance for said transaction amount, and then debiting atleast one second credit balance for said transaction amount, whereby anydebit amount to said second credit balance pertaining to saidtransaction amount is subsequently repaid.

Crediting (paying) at least one specific transaction amount therebycrediting a first credit balance for said transaction amount, and thendebiting at least one cash balance and at least one second creditbalance for the amount of the transaction, whereby any debit amount tosaid second credit balance pertaining to said transaction amount issubsequently repaid.

Standard Credit Card

Transactions Automatically and Individually Post in-Turn

A typical, standard credit card functions by debiting a credit balancefor each authorized transaction amount, as seen in the followingexample:

Transaction Credit Date Description Amount Balance Debit 01-02Restaurant 48.00 48.00 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 01-05 Shoe Store 36.0036.00 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 63.00 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 15.00 01-18Appliance Store 750.00 750.00 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 18.00 01-30Restaurant 33.00 33.00 TOTAL 984.00 984.00

In terms of a typical credit card balance, the debiting results in theposting of the transaction, not the actual payment by the end user. In astandard credit card embodiment, all authorized transactionsautomatically post to a single initial credit balance, where the actual,generally manual payment by the end user (comprising writing a check,manually making an electronic payment entry, etc.), of a typical creditcard balance due does not generally occur until after the close of abilling cycle.

Crebit Embodiments

This section comprises embodiments known as crebit embodimentscomprising aspects of credit and debit cards, and provides a morein-depth discussion of the earlier section where all authorizedtransactions automatically post to a single initial credit balance, pera standard credit card embodiment. The earlier-mentioned transactionprocessor parameters to determine account debiting, or transactionposting for a given transaction (as in which account does thistransaction get routed to in order to be subsequently posted?), getsthrown totally out the window, because by using a singular initialcredit balance, there is absolutely no determination to be made as towhich account a given transaction is posted to. This is due to the factthat the only balance that can be used for posting a given transactionis a singular initial credit balance. This is tantamount to being ableto have the Ford Model T in any color you want, as long as it's black.

However, once a given transaction is actually posted, transactionprocessor parameters can be used to automatically determine whichtransactions comprising the single initial credit balance areautomatically paid sooner, say, prior to or upon the close of thebilling cycle, as was seen in the prior debit card embodiment section,and which ones are carried forward and manually paid later after theclose of the billing cycle, in typical credit-card like fashion.

Using the transaction processor, certain already-posted credit balanceitems will be selectively and automatically paid either before, and/orat or after the close of a given billing cycle, while otheralready-posted waiting to be manually-paid items will be selectively orexclusively left alone to be manually paid later after the close of thebilling cycle. It is important to note that, like a standard credit cardavailable balance, the initial available credit balance is intended tofunction as a living, breathing, final posting balance for transactions.However, in certain system embodiments, it could be desirable tosegregate, for the purpose of maintaining clarity and organization, thetransaction postings comprising the automatically paid or automaticallywill-be paid credit items that comprise the initial available creditbalance, from the transaction postings comprising the remaining waitingto be manually-paid credit items that also comprise the initialavailable credit balance, or vice-versa; therefore, it could be possiblein certain cases for some balance shuffling away from the initialavailable credit balance to occur.

Earlier was an example of using a single initial credit balance forposting all of the transactions, whereby the posted transaction amountsdebited the initial credit balance, where transaction amounts up to $25were automatically paid by debiting a cash balance within two seconds,two minutes, two hours, two days, etc. of the posting. This transactionamount threshold parameter in the context of a single initial creditbalance is actually and more accurately a payment parameter, fordetermining which credit balance items are paid automatically by atleast one available cash balance, and which credit items are left asopen items to be paid manually after the close of the billing cycle.Another example is as follows, but this time, transaction amounts up to$50 are paid, with the remaining unpaid items left as open items.

Amt Net Initial Debited Effect Transaction Credit From Initial DateDescription Amount Bal Debit Cash Bal Credit 01-02 Restaurant 48.0048.00 48.00 -0- 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 21.00 -0- 01-05 Shoe Store36.00 36.00 36.00 -0- 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 63.00 -0-  63.00 01-14Gasoline 15.00 15.00 15.00 -0- 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 750.00 -0-750.00 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 18.00 18.00 -0- 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 33.0033.00 -0- TOTAL 984.00 984.00 171.00  813.00

Per the above, all transactions were automatically paid by the cashbalance except the January 6 and January 18 transactions, of which willbe carried as open items to be paid after the close of the billingcycle. As with the faux debit card embodiments disclosed earlier, in theabove crebit embodiment, the at least one available cash balancebasically serves, or is subservient to the initial credit balance, tothe point that its automatic cash balance debiting activity can belooked at as a subset of the overall activity comprising the initialcredit balance. Also, it is important to recognize that the at least oneavailable cash balance as an actual automatic payment source, or anautomatic funding source for a subset of the overall activity comprisingthe initial credit balance.

Furthermore, it is disclosed that a single available cash balancecomprising at least one available cash balance can debit at least onefunding source. Also, it is disclosed that at least one cash balancepayment source comprising the at least one available cash balance coulddebit any number of corresponding funding sources. As a result, underthe direction of the transaction processor, a given cash balance fundingsource can automatically credit (pay) transactions up to $25 on theinitial credit balance; transactions from $25 to $100 can be left asopen items on the initial credit balance to be manually paid by the enduser after the close of the billing cycle; a second cash balancecomprising a second funding source can automatically credit (pay)transactions over $100 up to $500 on the initial credit balance; a thirdcash balance comprising a third funding source can automatically credit(pay) transactions over $500 up to $1000 on the initial credit balance;and finally, transactions above $1000 can be left as open items on theinitial credit balance to be manually paid after the close of thebilling cycle.

Also, thanks to the readjustment mechanism, any or all of the amountsthat are automatically paid can be manually, or even automatically,unpaid. To top it all off, re-credited source funds (cash) resultingfrom the varied readjustments don't even have to return to the source(s)that provided them, but can be returned to any available cashbalance(s)/funding source(s) the end user chooses. Finally, any waitingto be manually-paid transactions, which are ordinarily paid after thebilling cycle closes, can be manually prepaid prior to the close of thebilling cycle by using a readjustment comprising a transaction specificor amount specific readjustment.

There are numerous parameters that may be used in order to determinewhich transactions comprising the initial available credit balance areselectively and automatically paid and/or selectively and automaticallyexcluded from being paid (and carried forward as open items to bemanually paid by the end user after the close of the billing cycle).

Payment may be made from available cash balance(s) using parameters suchas:

-   -   Amount threshold—        -   Automatically pay the initial available credit balance using            available cash balance #1 for all transactions up to $25.        -   Automatically pay the initial available credit balance using            available cash balance #2 for all transactions above $25 up            to $50.        -   Automatically leave as open items on the initial available            credit balance (leave unpaid) all transactions above $50,            which will be manually paid after the billing cycle closes.        -   Automatically pay the initial available credit balance using            non-initial available credit balance #1 for all transactions            above $100, which will be manually paid after the billing            cycle closes.    -   Remainder threshold—        -   Automatically pay the initial available credit balance using            available cash balance #1 for up to the first $20 of a given            transaction; leave any remainder amounts above $20 for a            given transaction as an open item on the initial available            credit balance (leave unpaid) which is to be paid after the            billing cycle closes.    -   Ratio—        -   Automatically pay the initial available credit balance using            available cash balance #1 for 50% (one-half) of a given            transaction; leave the remaining 50% amount for a given            transaction as an open item on the initial available credit            balance (leave unpaid) which is to be paid after the billing            cycle closes.    -   Special identifier information (merchant, location of        transaction origination)—        -   Automatically pay the initial available credit balance using            available cash balance #1 for all transactions from            Excellent Grocers up to $200; however, if a given Excellent            Grocers exceeds $200, then automatically pay the initial            available credit balance using non-initial available credit            balance #1 for all transactions above $100, which will be            manually paid after the billing cycle closes.        -   Automatically pay the initial available credit balance using            available cash balance #1 for all transactions up to $25;            however, automatically leave as open items on the initial            available credit balance (leave unpaid) all transactions            originating from outside of a 20 mile radius from my home            address/city/zip code/etc., which are to be paid after the            billing cycle closes.        -   Automatically pay the initial available credit balance using            available cash balance #1 for all transactions up to $50;            however, automatically leave as open items on the initial            available credit balance (leave unpaid) all transactions            originating from outside of the state where I live and            outside a 30 mile radius from my home address, which are to            be paid after the billing cycle closes; however,            automatically pay the initial available credit balance using            available cash balance #1 if the transaction is from Too            Much Coffee Shops, regardless of location.    -   Account balance criteria—        -   Automatically pay the initial available credit balance using            available cash balance #1 for all transactions up to $25            only if the automatic payment permits the minimum available            account balance of available cash balance #1 to remain above            $100; otherwise leave the transaction as an open item on the            initial available credit balance (leave unpaid) to be paid            after the billing cycle closes.        -   Automatically pay the initial available credit balance using            available cash balance #1 for all transactions up to $50            only if the automatic payment permits the maximum            consumption of available cash balance #1 to remain below            $500 for the billing cycle; otherwise automatically pay the            initial available credit balance using available cash            balance #2 for all transactions up to $50 only if the            automatic payment permits the maximum consumption of            available cash balance #2 to remain below $250 for the            billing cycle; otherwise, leave the transaction as an open            item on the initial available credit balance (leave unpaid)            to be paid after the billing cycle closes.        -   Automatically pay the initial available credit balance using            available cash balance #1 for all transactions once the            maximum consumption of the initial available credit balance            reaches $2000.

The above parameters are all used in terms of an initial availablecredit balance to automatically and selectively pay, the transactionsposted to the initial available credit balance. What is highly ironic isthat the above parameters can also be used in terms of an initialavailable cash balance to automatically and selectively unpay, orreadjust the paid items posted to the initial available cash balance!

In the next example, these payment parameters will be put to work:

Amt Net Initial Debited Effect Transaction Credit From Initial DateDescription Amount Bal Debit Cash Bal Credit 01-02 Restaurant 48.0048.00 48.00 -0- 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 10.00 11.00 01-05 Shoe Store36.00 36.00 18.00 18.00 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 63.00 63.00 -0- 01-14Gasoline 15.00 15.00 -0- 15.00 01-18 Appliance Store 750.00 750.00 -0-750.00  01-24 Gasoline 18.00 18.00 -0- 18.00 01-30 Restaurant 33.0033.00 -0- 33.00 TOTAL 984.00 984.00 139.00  845.00 

Prior to the January 2 transaction the end user sets up an amountthreshold parameter because the end user wants the available cashbalance to automatically pay any initial credit balance transactions upto $50. As a result, the January 2 Restaurant transaction for $48 ispaid in full with a debit to (payment from) the available cash balance.Prior to the January 3 Gasoline purchase, the end user resets theparameters for a remainder threshold, where the first $10 of a giventransaction is automatically paid, with the remainder of $11 beingcarried as an open initial credit balance item. Prior to the Shoe Storebill on January 5, the end user discontinues the remainder thresholdparameter and sets up a ratio parameter (1:1, 50/50, etc.), so theavailable cash balance automatically pays half of the Shoe Storetransaction ($18), leaving the other half of the $36 transaction as anopen initial credit balance item. The end user has a special identifierinformation parameter on the Supermarket merchant where all initialcredit balance transactions for that particular merchant up to $100,including the January 6 $63 transaction, are automatically paid by theavailable cash balance. Using an account balance criteria parameter, theselected minimum balance parameter assures that the available cashbalance will not automatically pay any initial credit balancetransactions if the available cash balance drops below a certain level(say, $500). Therefore, as a result of the available cash balancefalling below the specified level, all transactions from January 14through the end of the billing cycle remained as open unpaid initialcredit balance transactions that will be either manually paid sometimeafter the close of the billing cycle, or defaulted.

At least one open item comprising the initial single available creditbalance that are to be manually paid by the end user after the close ofthe billing cycle may be prepaid by using a readjustment comprising atransaction specific readjustment or an amount specific readjustment,where cash is moved from at least one available cash balance to pay forat least one transaction.

In the earlier “faux” debit card section, numerous embodiments werepresented, with some embodiments prohibiting the creation ofcredit-default risk, and other embodiments fully enabling the creationof credit-default risk in numerous ways. In this “crebit” section, asimple available cash balance was used as a payment source to pay theinitial credit balance, although it was disclosed, among other things,that “at least one” available cash balance can be used.

The next section will show that, in place of a simple available cashbalance, more complex debit card embodiments can be used in its place,where, again, the debit card embodiments basically serve, or issubservient to the initial credit balance, to the point that the debitcards' automatic cash balance debiting activity can be considered as a“subset” of the overall activity comprising the initial credit balance.

Available payment sources for automatic payments may be may berelatively simple, such as a single available cash balance like achecking account balance, or much more complex, such as where a givenpayment source comprises a plurality of payment sources that are inseries with each other acting in an overdraft capacity, and/or areparallel with each other with more than one payment source being usedsimultaneously to automatically pay a transaction.

Also, a very important reason to think in terms of an “available paymentsource” instead of automatically thinking in terms of an “available cashbalance” is that an available source may even comprise an availablecredit balance, comprising a non-initial (sub) available balance whereat least one non-initial (sub) available credit balance is used to paythe initial available credit balance whereby the non-initial at leastone available credit balance is debited, thereby paying/crediting theinitial available credit balance.

At least one non-initial (sub) available credit balance may comprise apayment source to pay/credit the initial available credit balance for atleast one given transaction, whereby paying/crediting the initialavailable credit balance results in at least one transaction amountdebit to the at least one non-initial available credit balance that hasto be paid back. A given non-initial available credit balance that hasto be paid back may comprise:

-   -   A non-initial (sub) available credit balance comprising        transactions that are subsequently and automatically paid by at        least one available payment source, where the payment source        comprises at least one available cash balance and/or at least        one available credit balance, and where the non-initial credit        balance may optionally comprise a credit balance of a debit        card/faux debit card embodiment; or,    -   A non-initial (sub) available credit balance comprising        transactions that are carried forward as open items, where the        end user manually pays the non-initial credit balance after the        close of a billing cycle.

Furthermore, a non-initial available credit balance can be used in thesame ways that an available cash balance can with regards to automatedpayments, manually prepayments, and even readjustments, where the“un-paying” of the paid non-initial available credit balance can beperformed, and where the readjustment or un-paying of even the un-paidnon-initial available credit balance results in the transaction ortransaction amount being readjusted back to the initial available creditbalance, or readjusted to at least one different available creditbalance.

Moving at least one given transaction off of the initial credit balance,and onto a non-initial (sub) credit balance can be achieved by:

-   -   Moving or shifting the transaction from the initial available        credit balance onto at least one non-initial (sub) available        credit balance; or,    -   Crediting or “paying” the transaction comprising the initial        credit balance, with at least one non-initial (sub) credit        balance, either (most likely) automatically or (possibly)        manually.

Once the transaction is on the at least one available (sub) creditbalance, it may then be paid automatically, or carried as an open itemto be paid “manually” by the end user after the close of a billing cycleby writing a check, “manually” making an electronic payment entry, etc.

A very important distinction needs to be made. The above operations arenot to be considered “credit balance transfers” as known in the standardcontext. In the standard context, a credit balance transfer generallytakes place between two separate credit card issuers, where card issuer#1 transfers the credit balance items to card issuer #2, whereby cardissuer #2 pays back settlement funds comprising cash equivalents to cardissuer #1 to settle the debt between the cardholder and card issuer #1.Contrary to a standard credit balance transfer, the above operations donot comprise the transfer of settlement funds comprising cashequivalents to “settle the debt”, due to the fact that crediting theinitial credit balance with an offsetting debit to a non-initial creditbalance accomplishes the “payment” without requiring the use of outsidefunds.

Also, available payment sources for automatic payments that are sharedor unshared among a plurality of debit card/“faux debit card”embodiments comprising a “crebit” embodiment present a myriad of paymentpossibilities. For example, a plurality of debit card/“faux debit card”embodiments may share a single payment source, some of the plurality mayshare at least one single payment source while others comprising theplurality may each have separate payment sources, or each embodimentcomprising the plurality may have at least one payment source of itsown, whereas a single debit card embodiment may employ numerous paymentsources due to a plurality of transaction payment parameters such asvaried amount threshold payment parameters.

An example of a “crebit” credit balance-based embodiment using multiplepayment sources is as follows, where payment source #1 comprises a “paid“in-turn”” “faux debit card” embodiment (“cash balance #1 debit”) toautomatically pay the initial credit balance for transactions up to $25;payment source #2 comprises a “transactions paid together” “faux debitcard” embodiment (“cash balance #2 frozen”) to automatically pay theinitial credit balance for transactions from $25 to $50 at or after theclose of the billing cycle; payment source #3 comprising an availablenon-initial credit balance, which will (“sub credit #1 debit”) toautomatically pay the initial credit balance for transactions above $50to $100; and payment source #4 also comprising an available non-initialcredit balance (“sub credit #2 debit”) to automatically pay the initialcredit balance for transactions above $100, where the non-initial creditbalance items comprising the non-initial (sub) balances #1 and #2 willbe carried as open items that will be paid manually after the close ofthe billing cycle.

Ini Cash Cash Sub Sub Net Credit Bal Bal Crdt Crdt Effect Descrip- Bal#1 #2 #1 #2 Ini Date tion Debit Dbit Frozen Dbit Dbit Credit 01-02Restaurant 48.00 -0- 48.00 -0- -0- -0- 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 -0--0- -0- -0- 01-05 Shoe Store 36.00 -0- 84.00 -0- -0- -0- 01-06 Super-63.00 -0- -0- 63.00 -0- -0- market 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 15.00 -0- -0--0- -0- 01-18 Appliance 750.00 -0- -0- -0- 750.00 -0- Str 01-24 Gasoline18.00 18.00 -0- -0- -0- -0- 01-30 Restaurant 33.00 -0- 117.00  -0- -0--0- “TRANSACTIONS PAID TOGETHER” “FAUX DEBIT CARD” EMBODIMENT (CASHBALANCE #2) PAID FOR $117 TOTAL 984.00 54.00/ 117.00/ 63.00 750.00 -0-Paid Paid

It is worth noting that in this “crebit” embodiment example, the fourpayment sources (cash balance #1, cash balance #2 frozen, sub creditbalance #1 and sub credit balance #2) were set up in such a way thatnone of the transactions remained on the initial credit balance (initialcredit balance remains zero), yet balance items on sub credit balance #1and sub credit balance #2 will be carried as open items to be manuallypaid by the end user. It needs to be mentioned, and it can't be stressedenough, that the zeroing out of the initial available credit balance isnot mandatory, nor is it even recommended; rather, it is merelyillustrated. As was seen earlier, it is still possible to carrytransactions on the initial available credit balance as open items to bemanually after the close of the billing cycle (or even manually prepaidbefore), which could act as an enhancement to, or a substitution for atleast one of the non-initial (sub) available credit balances. The fourpayment sources will now be discussed.

As mentioned earlier, cash balance #1 was a “paid “in-turn”” “faux debitcard” embodiment that was paying an available credit balance for all ofits allotted transactions. The available credit balance comprising the“faux debit card” that was paid could be the initial available creditbalance, or could be at least one non-initial (sub) available creditbalance provided by the methods disclosed earlier. Furthermore, theabove “paid “in-turn”” embodiment could additionally comprisecapabilities to enable the creation of credit-default risk, such aswhere at least one cash balance could be depleted without enablingrejection of the transaction, or where the automatic payment function isturned off, leaving open items to be paid on the relevant availablecredit balances as a result. Also, readjustments comprising amountspecific or transaction specific readjustments (also potentialcredit-default risk creators), where the paid transactions are unpaid,may have the readjusted/unpaid transactions post back to their originalavailable credit balance(s) (whichever one or more balances that was),and/or any other available credit balance(s), with the funds resultingfrom the “unpayment” crediting any desired at least one balance,regardless of whether the funds credit at least one available cashbalance, and/or are used to pay at least one available credit balance.This last aspect is particularly interesting. Normally, when performinga readjustment (unpayment) on a given transaction, the proceeds from theunpayment credit an available cash balance. Here, instead of paying anavailable cash balance, another available credit balance is directlypaid instead. Such an example would be to perform a readjustment bydebiting the paid purchase transaction amount from available creditbalance #1 to directly pay for a transaction debiting available creditbalance #2, whereby the two available credit balances are from twototally different payment sources, all without using an available cashbalance as an intermediary.

Cash balance #2 (frozen) was a “transactions paid together” “faux debitcard” embodiment where the cash balance for its allotted transactionswere cumulatively frozen, then paid on February 1 after the close of thebilling cycle. The end user may prepay any such transactions, ifdesired, using a manual readjustment/prepayment prior to the close ofthe billing cycle, which would not in itself create credit-default risk.The available credit balance comprising the “faux debit card” that waspaid could be the initial available credit balance, or could be at leastone non-initial (sub) available credit balance provided by the methodsdisclosed earlier. The embodiment could additionally comprisecapabilities to enable the creation of credit-default risk, such asallowing frozen funds to be withdrawn, turning off the automatic paymentfunction, readjusting (unpaying) any prepaid transactions anddefaulting, readjusting the automated payment after it has been made anddefaulting, etc.

Sub credit balance #1 and sub credit balance #2 are each non-initialcredit balances, and although they comprise separate payment sources(they will each be “manually” and separately paid by the end user afterthe close of the billing cycle), they can be discussed together. Asdisclosed earlier, transactions could have been posted onto the twonon-initial (sub) credit balances either by moving the transaction fromthe initial available credit balance onto at least one non-initial (sub)available credit balance and/or by crediting or “paying” the initialcredit balance transaction, either (most likely) automatically or(possibly) manually, with a debit to least one non-initial (sub) creditbalance. As discussed earlier, any of the items comprising thenon-initial available credit balance can be manually prepaid. Having theend user needing to “manually” and separately pay for each of thenon-initial available credit balance transactions makes little senseunless one realizes that the end user could be using a different“manual” payment funds source and/or even a different “manual” paymentmethod (check vs. electronic payment for example), to pay each of theresulting bills. Nonetheless, the possibility does exist for the twomanual payments to be merged prior to being paid.

Some final notes regarding the “crebit” example are in order. Due tocertain credit-default risk possibilities, at least four open creditbalances could require manual payment after the close of the billingcycle (“at least four” assumes that the four payment sources use onlyone available credit balance each; meanwhile, more are possible, albeitunwieldy), although it is entirely possible for an embodiment comprisingthe same combination of payment sources to use the initial availablecredit balance for all of the debit card/“faux debit” card embodimentcrediting, where the initial available credit balance is also used tocarry open items thus substituting for one of the non-initial availablecredit balances, leaving only the other non-initial available creditbalances for open items that need to be manually paid after the close ofthe billing cycle! Although the “paid “in-turn”” “faux debit card”, andthe “transactions paid together” “faux debit card” were used in theabove “crebit” embodiment, where either or both embodiments can use thedisclosed modifications to create credit-default risk, keep in mind thata “standard” debit card embodiment, and even the “hybrid faux debitcard” where transactions are automatically “paid in turn” thenautomatically readjusted (unpaid), then transactions are automatically“paid together” at or after the close of the billing cycle, may also beincorporated.

The following “crebit” embodiment demonstrates a series payment. Aseries payment comprises where at least one transaction, or at least onetransaction amount, that is posted to an initial available creditbalance is automatically or manually credited (paid) by at least onenon-initial available credit balance, whereby the at least onenon-initial available credit balance is subsequently automatically ormanually credited (paid) by at least one other payment source, wherebythe payment source comprises at least one available cash balance, and/ora yet additional at least one non-initial available credit balance,where the yet additional at least one non-initial available creditbalance is subsequently automatically or manually credited (paid) by atleast one other payment source, and so on. In this example, thenon-initial (sub) available credit balance automatically credits(“pays”) the initial credit balance for all transactions under $100,resulting in debits to the non-initial (sub) available credit balance,whereby transactions over $100 remain on the initial available creditbalance to be manually paid later. The debits to the non-initial (sub)available credit balance are then subsequently automatically paid by two“faux debit card” embodiments. This automatic payment is different thanthe prior “crebit” example, where debits to the non-initial (sub)available credit balance were manually paid by the end user after theclose of the billing cycle (or manually prepaid prior to the close ofthe billing cycle), and not automatically paid as per the presentexample. The first “faux debit card” (comprising cash balance #1) is a“paid “in-turn”” embodiment that automatically pays the debits to thenon-initial (sub) available credit balance for transactions up to $25.The second “faux debit card” (comprising cash balance #2) is a“transactions paid together” embodiment that cumulatively freezes andthen automatically pays the debits to the non-initial (sub) availablecredit balance for transactions from $25 up to $100 after the close ofthe billing cycle.

Ini Sub Cash Cash Net Credit Crdt Bal Bal Effect Descrip- Bal Bal #1 #2Ini Date tion Debit Dbit Dbit Frozen Credit 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.00-0-  48.00 -0- 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 21.00 21.00 -0- -0- 01-05 Shoe Store36.00 36.00 -0-  84.00 -0- 01-06 Super- 63.00 63.00 -0- 147.00 -0-market 01-14 Gasoline 15.00 15.00 15.00 -0- -0- 01-18 Appliance 750.00 -0- -0- -0- 750.00 Str 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 18.00 18.00 -0- -0- 01-30Restaurant 33.00 33.00 -0- 180.00 -0- 02-01 “TRANSACTIONS PAID TOGETHER”“FAUX DEBIT CARD” AUTOMATICALLY PAID NON-INITIAL CREDIT BAL FOR $180”TOTAL 984.00  234.00/ 54.00 180.00 750.00 Paid

In this example, both “faux debit card” embodiments paid the non-initial(sub) available credit balance in full, but by different methods pertheir respective embodiments. The January 18 charge for $750 thatremained on the initial credit balance was carried forward as an openitem to be manually paid by the end user after the close of the billingcycle. The non-initial (sub) available credit balance is the reallydistinctive aspect of this example, where the non-initial (sub)available credit balance is used to automatically pay the initialavailable credit balance, and then is subsequently automatically paid bythe two “faux debit card” embodiments. What is important to understandis that in “faux debit card” embodiments that enable the creation ofcredit-default risk, paid items comprising the non-initial (sub)available credit balance can be unpaid by performing a readjustmentwhere the newly unpaid transaction re-debits either the non-initial(sub) available credit balance, and/or the original initial creditbalance, and/or at least one other available credit balance entirely.Likewise, in “faux debit card” embodiments comprising items to beautomatically paid later, due to the varied mechanisms that can thwartthe automatic subsequent payment, the resultant never-paid items canremain on the non-initial (sub) available credit balance, or can bereadjusted to the original initial credit balance, and/or readjusted toat least one other available credit balance. Furthermore, if all of theitems are readjusted back to, or remain unpaid on, the non-initial (sub)available credit balance, the open items comprising the non-initial(sub) available credit balance can be manually paid by the end user, or,readjusted yet again back to the original initial credit balance, and/orreadjusted to at least one other available credit balance. Also, itshould be understood that theoretically, through the use of an endlessseries of non-initial available credit balances as payment sources, theseries payment process could go on in perpetuity.

Furthermore, it must be reinforced that in “crebit” embodiments, paymentparameters are crucial. In the above example, if the second “faux debitcard” “transactions paid together” embodiment (comprising cash balance#2) was reset so the amount threshold parameter debited the availablecash balance for all transactions above $25 (without the $100 toplimit), then the “crebit” embodiment would be basically reconfigured asa “dual-embodiment” “faux debit card”!

To reiterate an earlier theme, assuming that all readjusted/unpaid “fauxdebit card” activity remains on the non-initial (sub) available cashbalance (to be manually paid by the end user after the close of thebilling cycle), this manually paid activity can comprise acredit-reporting item. The credit-reporting item can be additional tothe credit-reporting item comprising the original initial creditbalance, resulting where the above “crebit” embodiment, as specified,can comprise two separate credit-reporting items.

In the more sophisticated “crebit” embodiments, it is possible to have asingle credit-reporting item by “boiling down” the diverse activity ofthe “crebit” embodiment to a singular initial available credit balance,or a singular non-initial available credit balance whereby the originalinitial credit balance is zeroed-out. Also, it is possible where thediverse activity can result in embodiments comprising a few, or manydistinct credit-reporting items. Although it is prudent to allow thedecision as far as “crebit” configuration and number of eligiblecredit-reporting items to rest with the account issuer/provider, it isherein disclosed that the end user may have no, some, most, or totalcontrol, choice, or influence with regards to “crebit” configuration,and the selecting of the total number of eligible reporting itemscomprising a given “crebit” configuration.

While “crebit” embodiments comprising initial credit balances werediscussed extensively, “crebit” embodiments comprising initial cashbalances will now be discussed.

A “crebit” embodiment comprising an initial cash balance resembles astandard debit card, where all transactions are paid, with one veryspecial distinction. Using transaction payment parameters disclosedearlier, the end user could selectively and automatically readjust, orselectively and automatically unpay, theoretically any or all of thepaid transactions, whereby the transaction payment parameters become“transaction un-payment parameters”.

Furthermore, the unpaid transactions are to be subsequently repaid,either manually by the end user, or even automatically. In terms of anautomatic re-payment function, the transaction payment parameters become“transaction re-payment parameters”.

In the following “crebit” initial available cash balance embodiment, alltransactions debit the initial cash balance; however, all transactionsabove $25 are automatically readjusted, (unpaid) leaving transactionsbelow $25 to remain paid on the initial cash balance. Of the readjustedtransactions, transactions above $100 are left unpaid as a debit toavailable credit balance #1 to be (manually) repaid later; however, anon-initial available cash balance automatically repays transactions upto $100.

Ini Cash Crdt Net Bal Readjstd Readjstd Bal Effect Date DescriptionDebit Unpaid Repaid #1 Dbit Ini Cash 01-02 Restaurant 48.00 48.00 48.00-0- -0- 01-03 Gasoline 21.00 -0- -0- -0- 21.00 01-05 Shoe Store 36.0036.00 36.00 -0- -0- 01-06 Supermarket 63.00 63.00 63.00 -0- -0- 01-14Gasoline 15.00 -0- -0- -0- 15.00 01-18 Appliance 750.00 750.00  -0-750.00 -0- Str 01-24 Gasoline 18.00 -0- -0- -0- 18.00 01-30 Restaurant33.00 33.00 33.00 -0- -0- TOTAL 984.00 930.00  180.00  750.00 54.00

As seen in the example, transactions that are readjusted (unpaid) can berepaid using at least one payment source other than the original initialavailable cash balance, or can be left as open items on an availablecredit balance to be repaid later. Using other (un)-payment parameters,such as a ratio parameter, a portion of a given transaction can beunpaid, and left unpaid, or be repaid by another payment source, whilethe other portion remains paid on the initial available cash balance. Byusing a remainder threshold parameter, the first, say, $20 can remainpaid on the initial available cash balance, while the remaining amountof the transaction over $20 can be unpaid and left unpaid, or be repaidby another payment source. Using a special identifier informationparameter, transactions from outside the end user's region can beautomatically readjusted to debit an available credit balance, which canbe helpful for thwarting fraudulent transactions. Also, re-payment mayresemble the methods comprising a “paid in turn” “faux debit card”method, or a “transactions paid together” “faux debit card” method, andmay additionally comprise the disclosed mechanisms to createcredit-default risk.

As is analogous to the earlier series payment comprising initial andnon-initial available credit balances, by using initial and non-initialavailable cash balances instead, series unpayment can be realized.Series unpayment comprises where at least one transaction, or at leastone transaction amount, that is posted to an initial available cashbalance is automatically or manually debited (unpaid) by at least onenon-initial available cash balance, whereby the at least one non-initialavailable cash balance is subsequently automatically or manually debited(unpaid) by at least one other source, whereby the source comprises atleast one available credit balance, and/or a yet additional at least onenon-initial available cash balance, where the yet additional at leastone non-initial available cash balance is subsequently automatically ormanually debited (unpaid) by at least one other source, and so on. Also,it should be understood that theoretically, through the use of anendless series of non-initial available cash balances as sources, theun-payment process could as well go on in perpetuity.

Ironically, an end user can set the (un)-payment parameters toautomatically readjust all of the initial cash balance transactions, soevery one of the transactions debit an available credit balance, therebycreating a “faux credit card”. Furthermore, the end user can create atotal credit-default nightmare by automatically or manually readjustingall of the initial cash balance transactions so they debit an availablecredit balance, withdrawing all funds from any possible payment sources,including the funds comprising the “unpayment”, and totally default onpaying back the amount due on the credit balance.

Crebit Fixed Payment Function Series Embodiments

Another way to look at various crebit embodiments is in terms of fixedpayment functions that are in series with one another.

First is where an automatic payment function is followed in series by amanual payment function. This fixed embodiment comprises where anincoming transaction first hits an automatic payment function, and usingpayment parameters, such as an Amount Threshold payment parameter,and/or payment balance parameters to determine if the transaction isable to be automatically paid, or able to be automatically paid later,say, at or after the close of a billing cycle, then the transaction willbe paid automatically, without ever seeing the manual function (exceptperhaps if the automatically paid transaction is subsequently unpaid byusing a readjustment, where subsequent repayment of the transactioncomprises use of the manual function; or, if the automatically paidlater transaction is subsequently never to be automatically paid laterby having corresponding frozen funds withdrawn, where subsequent initialpayment of the transaction comprises use of the manual function).However, if the transaction cannot be paid automatically, then themanual function takes over. The manual function basically compriseswhere the transaction is left as an open item, or carried forward as anopen item, that enables subsequent manual payment by the end user afterthe close of the billing cycle; however, the manual function can alsooptionally comprise the capability to allow the end user to manuallyprepay a transaction prior to the close of a billing cycle by performinga transaction specific and/or amount specific readjustment/prepayment.In this series embodiment, the automatic function always sees all of thetransactions first, whereby the manual function subsequently sees only aportion of, or possibly even none, of the transactions.

Second is where a manual payment function is followed in series by anautomatic payment function. This fixed embodiment comprises where anincoming transaction first hits a manual payment function, and usespayment parameters, such as an Amount Threshold payment parameter,and/or payment balance parameters to determine if the transaction isable to be automatically paid, or able to be automatically paid later,say, at or after the close of a billing cycle. If the transaction cannotbe paid automatically, then the manual function keeps the transaction,without the automatic function ever seeing the transaction; however, ifthe transaction can be paid, then the transaction will continue on tothe automatic payment function to be paid automatically. This embodimentcomprises the manual function and automatic function capabilities of theprior fixed series embodiment. Nonetheless, there is a distinction whereif the automatically paid transaction is subsequently unpaid by using areadjustment, subsequent repayment of the transaction comprises a returnto the manual function; likewise, if the automatically paid latertransaction is subsequently never to be automatically paid later byhaving corresponding frozen funds withdrawn, the subsequent initialpayment of the transaction also comprises a return to the manualfunction. Contrary to the first series embodiment, in this seriesembodiment, the manual function always sees all of the transactionsfirst, whereby the automatic function subsequently sees only a portionof, or possibly even none, of the transactions.

It is important to acknowledge even in crebit fixed payment functionseries embodiments that the automatic payment function may comprise anynumber of payment sources and/or any number of debit card/faux debitcard embodiments, whereby any of the debit card/faux debit cardembodiments may or may not comprise credit-default risk creationcapabilities.

An absolutely crucial distinction needs to be made at this time. Theintended purpose of the above fixed payment function series embodimentis not to use the second function to solve a critical overdraft problemof the first function. Rather, the transaction processor's paymentparameters enables the user to automatically, selectively, and almostluxuriously determine whether the end user even wants a giventransaction to be automatically paid, or whether the end user wants thetransaction to remain as an open item to be paid later, which is verydifferent than using a series embodiment to urgently conduct anemergency overdraft rescue mission.

Series and/or Parallel Transaction Movement

In the present disclosure, transaction movement may comprise twodistinct methods:

-   -   Where the transaction movement comprises the simple movement or        shifting of a given transaction/transaction amount between two        like-kind balances (from a credit balance to another credit        balance, or from a cash balance to another cash balance); or,    -   Where the transaction movement comprises the actual crediting        and/or debiting of a given transaction/transaction amount, which        facilitates the movement of the transaction/transaction amount        between either like-kind balances (from a credit balance to        another credit balance), or non like-kind balances (from a        credit balance to a cash balance, or vice versa).

A given embodiment may comprise either or both methods. Keeping this inmind, any of the disclosed embodiments, from the simple to the complex,may additionally comprise complex transaction movement routines thatemploy any number, or kind of extra balances (regardless of whether thebalances are cash balances or credit balances, or in-house orout-of-house balances), in any order, whereby nearly infinite variationsare possible. Furthermore, a given transaction/transaction amount can bemoved in series from one balance to another, and/or parallel throughmore than one balance simultaneously. These complex routines can easilytake place without the end-user ever knowing or suspecting. For example,in a crebit or faux debit card embodiment, a given incomingtransaction/transaction amount can be moved in series and/or parallelthrough any number, kind and order of balances before residing on thedisclosed “initial available credit balance” comprising the crebit orfaux debit card embodiment. Also, in a given embodiment, a debit of anycash balances, regardless of whether they are frozen or not, can bemoved in series and/or parallel through any number, type and order ofbalances, regardless of whether any of the balances are deemed “frozen”or not, before the debit ultimately credits another balance, such as aninitial available credit balance. The same applies to out-of-housecredit or cash balances comprising a given embodiment, where a giventransaction/transaction amount moves through a complex routine ofbalances.

As an overview for a given embodiment, a given incomingtransaction/transaction amount debit or credit can move in series and/orparallel through any number, kind and order of balances beforeultimately residing on the desired balance, as can an offsetting creditor debit. Readjustments can work the same way, whereby a givenreadjustment can have its crediting and debiting functions move inseries and/or parallel through any number, kind and order of balancesprior to consummation, as can any repayment pertinent to a givenreadjustment. As a result, a complex transaction movement routine cancomprise a few, a dozen, a hundred, etc., cash and/or credit balances,in any order, before a transaction/transaction amount debit or creditultimately resides on the desired initial or ultimate balance.Similarly, a complex transaction movement routine can comprise a few, adozen, a hundred, etc., cash and/or credit balances, in any order, inorder to perform an offsetting balance credit or debit, readjustment,repayment, etc.

The present invention is described by way of the summary, descriptionand examples presented herein, but is not limited to the specificdescription, but includes all alternative potential variations of theinvention that can be made available to end-users as would be apparentto those skilled in the art.

1. A method comprising: a. electronically providing a credit balance, anamount threshold, and a payment balance; b. electronically purchasing atleast one product or service as a point of sale (POS) transaction usingsaid credit balance; c. electronically posting said POS transaction tosaid credit balance, wherein said credit balance is debited for theamount of said POS transaction, and wherein said POS transaction is notyet paid by said payment balance; and d. electronically applying saidamount threshold, using a transaction processor, to determine whether toelectronically pay said POS transaction using said payment balance;wherein said amount threshold is specified by an end user.
 2. A methodaccording to claim 1, wherein said POS transaction is electronicallypaid using said payment balance when said amount of said POS transactionis below said amount threshold, wherein said POS transaction is notelectronically paid using said payment balance when said amount of saidPOS transaction is at said amount threshold, and wherein said POStransaction is not electronically paid using said payment balance whensaid amount of said POS transaction is above said amount threshold.
 3. Amethod according to claim 1, wherein said POS transaction iselectronically paid using said payment balance when said amount of saidPOS transaction is above said amount threshold, wherein said POStransaction is not electronically paid using said payment balance whensaid amount of said POS transaction is at said amount threshold, andwherein said POS transaction is not electronically paid using saidpayment balance when said amount of said POS transaction is below saidamount threshold.
 4. A method according to claim 2, further comprisingelectronically paying said POS transaction using a different paymentbalance when said amount of said POS transaction is above said amountthreshold.
 5. A method according to claim 2, further comprisingelectronically paying said POS transaction using said payment balance ora different payment balance when said amount of said POS transaction isat said amount threshold.
 6. A method according to claim 2, furthercomprising wherein a portion of said POS transaction is electronicallypaid using said payment balance, wherein said portion is less than 100percent of said amount of said POS transaction.
 7. A method according toclaim 2, further comprising wherein when said POS transaction is notelectronically paid, said POS transaction is subsequently paid by an enduser using a payment balance selected from said payment balance, adifferent payment balance, or an additional payment balance.
 8. A methodaccording to claim 3, further comprising electronically paying said POStransaction using a different payment balance when said amount of saidPOS transaction is below said amount threshold.
 9. A method according toclaim 3, further comprising electronically paying said POS transactionusing said payment balance or a different payment balance when saidamount of said POS transaction is at said amount threshold.
 10. A methodaccording to claim 3, further comprising wherein a portion of said POStransaction is electronically paid using said payment balance, whereinsaid portion is less than 100 percent of said amount of said POStransaction.
 11. A method according to claim 3, further comprisingwherein when said POS transaction is not electronically paid, said POStransaction is subsequently paid by an end user using a payment balanceselected from said payment balance, a different payment balance, or anadditional payment balance.
 12. A method according to claim 1, whereinsaid credit balance comprises a single posted POS transaction or aplurality of single posted POS transactions.
 13. A method according toclaim 1, wherein a network for conducting said POS transaction comprisesa proprietary card network, an EFT network, an ACH network, or theInternet; and wherein means of conducting said POS transaction comprisesa financial card, a transaction card, a personal identification system,a telephone, a cell phone, a computer, a PDA, a radio-related device, acontactless device, or a communication device.
 14. A method according toclaim 1, wherein said credit balance, or any payment balance, comprisein-house or out-of-house balances.
 15. A method according to claim 1,wherein said amount threshold, said credit balance, or any paymentbalance is modified, withdrawn or adjusted.
 16. A method according toclaim 1, wherein said credit balance, or any payment balance, comprisesa revolving credit balance, a charge credit balance, a line of credit, acredit card account or a charge card account.
 17. A method according toclaim 1, wherein any payment balance comprises a debit card account, achecking account, a savings account, a money market account, a cashaccount, or a cash balance.
 18. A method comprising: a. electronicallyproviding a credit balance, a first amount threshold, a second amountthreshold, and a payment balance; b. electronically purchasing at leastone product or service as a point of sale (POS) transaction using saidcredit balance; c. electronically posting said POS transaction to saidcredit balance, wherein said credit balance is debited for the amount ofsaid POS transaction, and wherein said POS transaction is not yet paidby said payment balance; and d. electronically applying said firstamount threshold and said second amount threshold, using a transactionprocessor, to determine whether to electronically pay said POStransaction using said payment balance, wherein said first amountthreshold is below said second amount threshold; wherein said POStransaction is electronically paid using said payment balance when saidamount of said POS transaction is above said first amount threshold andbelow said second amount threshold; wherein said POS transaction is notelectronically paid using said payment balance when said amount of saidPOS transaction is below said first amount threshold; wherein said POStransaction is not electronically paid using said payment balance whensaid amount of said POS transaction is at said first amount threshold;wherein said POS transaction is not electronically paid using saidpayment balance when said amount of said POS transaction is at saidsecond amount threshold; wherein said POS transaction is notelectronically paid using said payment balance when said amount of saidPOS transaction is above said second amount threshold; and wherein saidfirst amount threshold and said second amount threshold are specified byan end user.
 19. A method according to claim 18, further comprisingelectronically paying said POS transaction using a different paymentbalance when said amount of said POS transaction is below said firstamount threshold.
 20. A method according to claim 18, further comprisingelectronically paying said POS transaction using a different paymentbalance when said amount of said POS transaction is above said secondamount threshold.
 21. A method according to claim 18, further comprisingelectronically paying said POS transaction using said payment balance ora different payment balance when said amount of said POS transaction isat said first amount threshold.
 22. A method according to claim 18,further comprising electronically paying said POS transaction using saidpayment balance or a different payment balance when said amount of saidPOS transaction is at said second amount threshold.
 23. A methodaccording to claim 18, further comprising wherein a portion of said POStransaction is electronically paid using said payment balance, whereinsaid portion is less than 100 percent of said amount of said POStransaction.
 24. A method according to claim 18, further comprisingwherein when said POS transaction is not electronically paid, said POStransaction is subsequently paid by an end user using a payment balanceselected from said payment balance, a different payment balance, or anadditional payment balance.
 25. A method according to claim 18, whereinsaid credit balance comprises a single posted POS transaction or aplurality of single posted POS transactions.
 26. A method according toclaim 18, wherein a network for conducting said POS transactioncomprises a proprietary card network, an EFT network, an ACH network, orthe Internet; and wherein means of conducting said POS transactioncomprises a financial card, a transaction card, a personalidentification system, a telephone, a cell phone, a computer, a PDA, aradio-related device, a contactless device, or a communication device.27. A method according to claim 18, wherein said credit balance, or anypayment balance, comprise in-house or out-of-house balances.
 28. Amethod according to claim 18, wherein said first amount threshold, saidsecond amount threshold, said credit balance, or any payment balance ismodified, withdrawn or adjusted.
 29. A method according to claim 18,wherein said credit balance, or any payment balance, comprises arevolving credit balance, a charge credit balance, a line of credit, acredit card account or a charge card account.
 30. A method according toclaim 18, wherein any payment balance comprises a debit card account, achecking account, a savings account, a money market account, a cashaccount, or a cash balance.